Call Back Yesterday
by yellowrose
Summary: What if the dog that had bitten McGee really had had rabies? Based on Dog Tags.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is a story I started long ago after seeing "Dog Tags". I was annoyed at how everyone treated McGee after he was bitten by the dog. I recently unearthed it and decided to finish it. It's not very long, just something I felt like writing. Hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with NCIS**.

**CHAPTER ONE**

Timothy McGee sat at his desk unhappily eyeing the stack of files. He needed to finish checking the paperwork to make sure everything was complete. Normally, he was very efficient when it came to paperwork, but things had been so hectic lately, these had gotten pushed to the back burner. Now, it was time to pay the piper. Absently, he rubbed his right arm. It had begun to ache over the past couple of days for no apparent reason. He opened and closed his fist a couple of times, noting the tingling in his fingers. That was new. He frowned. Well, he probably just strained it or something.

"Having a heart attack, McHypochondriac?" Tim rolled his eyes as he looked up to find Agent Tony Dinozzo grinning at him.

"I'm fine, Tony," snapped Tim yanking one of the files towards him. "Just a pulled muscle."

"Too many hours playing video games, McGeek. Maybe you need to take up weight lifting. Those little controller buttons aren't just gonna push themselves, y'know."

Tim simply grunted, ignoring his partner. As usual. Even if he was in the midst of a heart attack, it was unlikely anyone would believe him. Like Tony, everyone assumed he was a hypochondriac. McGee's jaw tightened. It's not like it was his fault he had bad allergies or got sick on boats.

The elevator door slid open, and Agent Gibbs strode out, coffee cup in hand. He glanced at his agents busy at their desks. Things were slow right now, which was a nice change of pace. His phone rang as he sat at in his chair. Flipping it opened, he listened for a moment then nodded. He turned, an envelope in his hand.

"McGee! Go take these photos down to Abby."

"Right, Boss." Normally, any excuse to go down to Abby's forensics lab was a cause for celebration, but not lately. In fact, for McGee, entering Abby's lab was something akin to venturing deep into the Antarctic. He dreaded the trip.

It had all started a couple of months ago with that stupid dog, Jethro aka Butch.

Butch, a very large German shepherd had attacked McGee in the course of one of their investigations. McGee shot the dog in order to protect himself. Abby, however, was livid when she learned he'd shot the animal despite his protests of self defense. Her _Bad McGee! _still rang in his ears. She hadn't shown the least concern for his numerous wounds, just that stupid dog. Then, the dog died. They thought he was going to recover, even after Ducky removed a knife tip from his stomach, but the wound became infected, and Jethro had died. Since then, Abby barely tolerated Timothy McGee.

McGee stood outside her lab, the packet of photos clutched in his hands. He could hear her music throbbing in the background. He tilted his head and could just see her lithe form dancing along to the beat. He smiled. Being near her always made him happy. Then, his shoulders slumped. He knew he should be mad at her for treating him so badly, but he couldn't help it. There would always be a warm spot in his heart for Abby Sciuto. With a sigh, he stepped forward as the electronic doors slid open.

Abby spun, her signature grin beaming to greet her latest visitor. It vanished as soon as she saw Tim. Abruptly, she turned away from him, her body stiff. Tim's heart fell with disappointment. For a brief moment there, he thought she had forgiven him.

"Abby, Gibbs asked me to bring these photos to you."

"Put them on the table, McGee." She refused to acknowledge him any further.

Tim set the envelope on the nearest table. "Abs…I.." he stopped as he saw her deliberately put earphones on. McGee's head dropped in defeat. Slowly, he turned and left the way he had come. He would find no welcome here.

"She still not talkin' to you?"

Tony looked at him with sympathy, as McGee returned to his desk.

Tim shook his head, sinking into his chair. He really didn't want to talk about this right now.

"I think she is being very unreasonable," said Ziva looking up from her stack of files. "You did what you had to do. It was not as if you shot the animal for no reason."

Suddenly, Tim was furious. "_Obviously_ animals mean more to Abby than people. _Obviously_, she wishes I'd let that damn dog rip my throat out." Grabbing his coffee cup, he smashed it on his desk, pieces of ceramics flying everywhere. Tony leaped to his feet and stared in shock at his partner.

"McGee!" Ziva gaped at him, her mouth open.

McGee sprang to his feet, shoving his chair hard against the back of his cubicle. A picture crashed to the floor. McGee ignored it. "I'm going for coffee," he snapped and stalked from the room.

"What was that all about?" asked Tony staring after Tim. "I've never seen McGee that mad."

"Especially not when it involves Abby." Ziva began to pick up pieces of the broken mug.

"Maybe this time she pushed him just a little too." Tony stooped to help.

Ziva shook her head. "I meant what I said earlier. I think Abby is being very unfair to McGee. He only did what he had to do."

McGee found himself outside the NCIS building and began to walk. He rubbed his aching head. He felt troubled. Why had he reacted like that? Ziva had been supporting him and he had a fit. He winced at the sharp pain in his shoulder. He felt like he was falling apart. He inhaled deeply. The cold air had a welcome bite to it. He felt a little calmer. He sighed and looked at his watch. _Damn! _He'd already been gone half an hour. No doubt Gibbs would be wondering what happened to him. McGee was thankful Gibbs had at least missed witnessing his outburst.

McGee hurried back to the bullpen. Gibbs glanced up as Tim scurried back to his desk, but said nothing. Tony and Ziva must have explained what had happened earlier. Tim did his best to look calm as he passed Gibbs' desk. Tim sighed in relief as his slid into his seat. A new coffee mug sat on the corner of his desk. Tim felt his face grow hot. He ducked his head and quietly slid the stack of folders closer missing the worried glances of his co-workers.

It was late afternoon when Tim came across the very case that had caused him so much grief. They had been positive Petty Officer Hanson was the one involved with drug smuggling, up until they found him apparently killed by his own dog. It was that dog, Butch, that attacked McGee. Later, they discovered another dog handler, Petty Officer Erica Perelli, had killed Hanson then staged the scene to look as if Butch had killed his own handler. She and an accomplice turned out to be the real drug smugglers.

Tim wasn't sure he really wanted to relive that whole case. His arm was aching again where Butch had bitten him. _Psychosomatic_ thought McGee with a shiver as memories of the snarling dog mauling him flooded back. He gave himself a shake. _Get over it, McGee. _With a sigh, he began to methodically go through the paperwork to make sure it was complete. When he reached the document on the dog's history, he paused, his brow knitted. Something didn't seem quite right. He shuffled through the stack of papers until he found the details the team had documented concerning the dog they'd found with Hanson. Tim's eyes went back and forth between the two sheets comparing the data. Then he froze. There!

There was something off with the identification numbers tattooed inside the dogs' lips. One by one, McGee compared the tattooed digits of the dog, Butch, who had been issued to PO Hanson with Jethro, the dog they had actually collected at the scene. The numbers were similar but definitely not the same. Tim sat back in his chair as he considered this. Did this mean Butch and Jethro were really two different animals? If so, what happened to the original Butch? Did Perelli kill him like she did her own drug sniffing dog so she could substitute it with an attack dog? But why? Where did Jethro come from?

Noting the numbers, McGee turned to his computer and signed onto a government database that kept track of all animals used by the government for whatever purpose. He quickly located Butch's number. All it said was that Butch had been assigned to the Navy's drug enforcement unit. Okay, so far so good. Now, what about the second dog? It took longer to track down that number, but at last McGee found the listing. Jethro apparently had been some kind of research animal. That was weird.

It took another hour, but he finally determined which laboratory to which the dog had been assigned. It was the Pax River Military Bioresearch Center. According to the information McGee was able to pull up, they researched diseases – human, animal, plant, didn't matter. Someone was studying it.

Thoughtfully, he tapped a pencil against his desk. So what was Jethro being used for? Tim was about to pick up his phone, then hesitated. He glanced over at Tony and Ziva, both busy at their desks. Gibbs had gone for more coffee. McGee knew that it probably didn't matter who the dog really was. They had Perelli and her accomplice plus Jethro was dead. But since the dog had bitten _him_, he had a vested interest in finding out exactly what kind of research that dog was used for. However, he didn't want the others to know what he was doing. They would just laugh, and Tony would claim that definitely proved McGee was a paranoid hypochondriac. No, McGee would just keep this to himself for the time being. If it turned out to be important, he'd tell the others then.

Tim got to the office early the next morning and put in a call to the Pax River Military Bioresearch Center.

"Pax River Bioresearch Center,"came a professional male voice. "How may I help you?"

"Yes, this is Special Agent McGee at NCIS. I'm trying to find out some information on a dog that was supposedly assigned to your facility."

There was a long pause at the other end. "A dog, sir?"

"Yes. I'm trying to find out if a particular dog was ever actually at your facility, and if so, what was it being used for."

Another long pause. "Perhaps I should transfer you to our research animal facility. They would most likely have the information you're looking for." Tim sat waiting impatiently through several repetitions of Mozart's _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik _before a harried sounding voice picked up.

"This is Dr. DeKay."

McGee identified himself once again and began to explain about the dog. "Doctor, we have supposedly one dog with two different identification numbers. The first number belonged to a dog that was assigned to the Navy's drug enforcement task force. A couple of months ago, we picked up an animal we assumed was that same dog. However, yesterday, I discovered there was a discrepancy in the ID numbers. When I looked up the second number, it identified a dog that had been assigned to your facility. So, I'm trying to find out if this dog was ever at your facility, what it was used for, and how did it end up at our crime scene?"

"One of _our_ dogs, Agent McGee?" The man's disbelief was clearly evident. "I can assure you, all of our animals are carefully accounted for. If you can give me the identification number in question, I can check and let you know exactly what happened to the animal."

Tim rattled off the number. Dr. DeKay assured him he'd get back to Tim with the information within a few hours. Tim hung up the phone and rubbed his neck. He must have slept on it wrong. He clenched his hand. The tingling was worse today and his hand felt weak. Strange.

He pushed it from his mind as he returned the never ending stack of files. It was near lunchtime when his phone finally rang. He snatched it up. It was Dr. McKay and he sounded worried.

"Agent McGee, are you absolutely sure about that number you gave me?"

"Yes, sir. There is no question about that number."

DeKay cursed softly. "All right, I need to know. What happened to that dog?"

"So, he was in your lab?"

"Please, Agent McGee. What happened to that dog? This is extremely important!"

McGee frowned, a knot beginning to form in his stomach. "It's dead."

He heard a relieved sigh. "Thank God, for that." There was a pause. "Did the dog…bite anyone? Or come into close contact with anyone?"

The knot grew tighter. "Yes…"

There was a longer pause. "Someone was actually bitten, or did they just come into contact with him? This is important, Agent McGee."

"Both." McGee fought down his rising impatience.

"You need to find whoever came in contact with that dog immediately! You said this was two months ago? Damn. It's probably too late."

McGee's heart was racing now. "_Dr._ _DeKay!_ Please! What is going on?"

DeKay's was speaking more rapidly now "Agent McGee, that dog _was_ here. He was supposed to have been destroyed two months ago, yet there is no record of it actually occurring. I have no idea why. We're looking into it. But it's vitally important we get in touch with anyone that might have had direct contact with the dog."

McGee's anxiety was headed through the roof. _"What was the dog being used for?" _ McGee practically shouted this into the phone.

"Rabies research. The dog was infected with rabies."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

_Rabies._

McGee went numb, he dropped the phone as the implication of the man's words slammed into him like sledge hammer. _Rabies! _He might not know a lot about the disease, but there was one fact of which he was fully aware. If you didn't get the vaccine in time, the disease was _always_ fatal. There was no cure. He suddenly glanced down at his arm. A cold sweat broke out on his brow. An early sign of rabies was renewed pain at the bite site.

"Hey, McCasper! You okay? You're as white as a ghost." Tony was peering at him across his desk.

"I…" McGee lurched to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom where he promptly threw up. His whole body was shaking now. This couldn't be happening to him. If he did have rabies, how long did he have? Days? Weeks? He didn't have a clue. _Tim, calm down! There's no proof you definitely have the disease. You need to get tested._

"Tim? Are you okay?" McGee felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder. Tony was looking down at him with obvious concern. "You look terrible."

McGee gave a feeble smile. Leave it to Tony to state the obvious. "Yeah, I'm okay. Must have been something I ate."

Tony helped him to his feet and back to his desk. "Maybe you better go home, Tim."

"What's going on?" Gibbs stood nearby frowning at Tim's haggard appearance. "You sick, McGee?"

"Yeah…I guess it's just a stomach bug." Tim had no intention on saying anything about rabies until he knew for sure. He didn't want to sound melodramatic.

"Have Ducky take a look at you first. Make sure it's nothing serious."

"Yeah, Boss." _If only you knew._

"Can you make it down to autopsy by yourself, McGee?" Tony stood ready to help.

McGee nodded. "I'm feeling better already. I'll be fine, Tony. Thanks."

Tony smiled but still looked worried.

Tim made his way down to autopsy, wondering what his next step should be. And what about Dr. DeKay? Tim had simply hung up on him. _Damn. I'll need to call him back._ He winced as a twinge ran up his arm. The pain seemed to becoming more intense. He rubbed his head. He could feel a headache coming on.

Ducky looked from his desk and smiled when McGee walked in. "Hello Timothy. Gibbs warned me you were on your way. What seems to be the problem?"

Where to begin? Suddenly, Tim was reminded of when he'd first been bitten. He'd gone to Ducky to ask about rabies, and the doctor had brushed him off; telling Palmer to explain why McGee could not possibly have rabies. _Why should I trust him now? _Tim's anger rose. No one had given a damn about him when he'd been injured, back when it would have made a difference. If he had rabies, he was as good as dead, but who would care?

"It was just a stomach bug, Ducky." Tim muttered as he choked back an angry retort. "Or something I ate. I feel better already."

Ducky ventured closer and examined the younger man. Although he was pale, some color was returning to his face. He touched McGee's brow. "You feel a little warm. Let's just take a quick look, shall we? I suspect you are correct, in which case a good night's rest will probably be the most effective prescription." McGee impatiently allowed Ducky to poke and prod him. Inwardly he was in a seething whirlpool of barely restrained panic and fury. He knew he should tell Ducky about the possibility of rabies, but he was still afraid he'd come across as a drama queen. He needed to contact DeKay. He'd know what Tim should do.

"Well, Timothy. I don't see anything seriously wrong. Go on home and rest. Drink plenty of fluids, and I think you should feel fine by tomorrow. If anything else crops up, just give me a call."

McGee nodded as he pulled on his shirt. "Thanks, Ducky."

Once McGee was free of autopsy, he hurried to the parking garage and quickly located his car. He pulled out his phone and called Dr. DeKay.

"Agent McGee? Thank God! I've been trying to get in touch with you. I need to speak with you right away. As I tried to tell you before, we have got to contact anyone who might have been exposed to that dog."

Tim sighed and rested his head against the steering wheel. "Doctor, I guess I should tell you. I'm the one he bit."

There was a moment of stunned silence. "Were you given the vaccine after you were bitten?"

"No," said McGee in a low voice. "Everyone assumed that since he was a military drug dog, he was up on all his shots. No one had any idea he was a rabid research dog." McGee knew he sounded bitter, but he didn't care.

"You need to come in immediately so we can test you." Dr. DeKay rattled off directions. "Is there anyone else who might have been exposed?"

_Abby, Ducky, Palmer…_They had all treated the dog, but Ducky and Palmer had always worn gloves. But what about Abby? He needed to talk to her right away.

"There might be one other person. Let me go talk to her, and then I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Agent McGee," said the doctor, his voice urgent, "There is no time to waste."

Tim snapped shut his phone. He climbed out of his car and hurried to the forensics lab. He prayed Abby would at least listen to him.

Abby glanced coldly in his direction as Tim entered the lab. "What do you want _now_, McGee?"

"Abby…I…I think you might have been exposed to rabies."

Abby whirled to face him and rolled her eyes dramatically. "_Again_, McGee? Are you going to start whining again about how poor Jethro had some kind of infection? Listen McGee, even if that poor puppy had rabies, _which he didn't_, I've had the vaccine. I get boosters every two years. I can't get rabies, so quit being so melodramatic. Jethro _had_ his shots. And if you hadn't killed him, you'd see that. I don't know why you're bringing this up again." She turned her back on him. "Go away, McGee."

McGee felt as if he'd been slapped. He was just trying to help. Face burning, he slunk back to his car. Fine. He'd tried. Now he had to go take care of himself. He slammed his car door shut and squealed out of the garage.

It took him over an hour to locate the research facility and another thirty minutes to find his way to Dr. DeKay. The doctor was a tall, intense looking man with wiry black hair. He was peering at McGee as he might one of his research subjects.

"Agent McGee? Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry." He reached over and placed a hand on McGee's brow. "Hmm. Warm. Have you experienced any symptoms? Pain at the bite location? Sore throat? Irritability?" He led McGee through his laboratory and into a small exam room.

"My arm…" began McGee holding up his hand. The doctor gently examined the visible scars on Tim's hand and arm. He gently pressed them and noted as Tim flinched.

"Sensitive." McGee nodded. Dekay sighed. Like Ducky before him, DeKay quickly examined McGee focusing on his arm and shoulder where the dog had left his mark.

"All right, Agent McGee. We need to test you for rabies. There is no one definitive test for humans so I'll need samples of blood, saliva, spinal fluid and a small skin sample from the back of your neck. We are one of the leading research centers when it comes to rabies, so we can have the results back by morning."

McGee squirmed and looked down at his hands. "What… if it's positive?"

For a moment, DeKay said nothing. "I won't beat around the bush, Agent McGee. Given what you have told me, I have little doubt you will come up positive. The pain in your arm, has it become progressively worse or stayed the same?"

"Gotten worse."

"I was afraid of that. That means the virus is on the move. I don't know how to say this young man, except to just spit it out. Once symptoms of rabies have become evident, the disease is one hundred percent fatal."

Tim closed his eyes as the room spun around him. He'd known that, but having it spelled out so clearly was like a physical blow. _I'm going to die._


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Tim sat on the edge of the hospital bed staring out the window. The trees were bare now. _I'll never see them again with leaves _he thought distantly_. _ Although it had been a couple of hours since Dr. DeKay had called him with the news, it was still barely past dawn.

_I'm so very sorry, Agent McGee. The tests came back positive_. _You have rabies_. McGee shuddered as the words played back over and over in his head. He couldn't shut them out. They were his death sentence.

The doctor had insisted Tim head immediately to Bethesda Naval Hospital. He barely remembered the trip from his home in Silver Springs. He was numb. He couldn't think. He woke to the sound of the phone with a splitting headache and sore throat. It felt kind of like a really bad case of the flu . Maybe DeKay was wrong. Maybe it really was just the flu. McGee's eyes brightened for a moment before reality weighed him down once more. No, the tests had all come out the same. They all said it was rabies. Not influenza. Not a cold. Rabies.

He rested his burning head against the cool glass of the window. He'd have to call his family. He still didn't know what to expect. How long did he have? He didn't know. The research he'd done last night was rather vague on the subject other than to say once the symptoms emerged, the patient usually declined rapidly. One site might say a few days, another over a week. He shuddered again. Final stage rabies was not a pleasant death – convulsions, delirium, paralysis, foaming at the mouth… With a soft moan, McGee leapt to his feet and began pacing the room.

There was a gentle knock and the door to his room swung open as Dr. DeKay stepped in. He looked exhausted. "Hello, Tim."

McGee tried to smile, but it just wasn't in him. He slumped back down onto the bed and looked at the doctor expectantly. "So? What happens next? Will I start foaming at the mouth? Try to bite people?"

DeKay took a seat across from him. "Tim, I know you're scared. I told you before, rabies is considered one hundred percent fatal once the symptoms appear. Right now, you're looking at maybe a week. Probably less."

Tim closed his eyes. _A week? _

"Tim, I want you listen to me." McGee turned his fearful gaze back to the doctor. DeKay leaned forward. "There is a chance, a very, very slight one to be sure, but it's still a chance. Have you ever heard of the Milwaukee Protocol?"

Tim frowned, then shook his head. After reading the symptoms of late stage rabies, he couldn't take anymore and had turned off the computer.

"It's an experimental treatment first used in 2004 when a fifteen year old girl developed rabies after being bitten by a bat. No one thought anything about the bite until she developed symptoms about a month later. By then, it was too late to give her the vaccine. Her doctor did some research and realized that although the virus attacked the brain, it didn't actually damage the brain tissue itself, just hijacked its signals."

Despite his fear, McGee's scientific mind was piqued. "So that's what causes the damage to the rest of the body?"

Dr. DeKay nodded. "Exactly. He thought that if he could put the patient into a deep chemically induced coma, it would prevent the virus from taking over the brain's signals and allow the body time to produce enough antibodies to fight and destroy it."

McGee could feel his hopes begin to rise. "Did it work?"

"Yes," DeKay said. "The girl was in a coma for 6 days after which time they gradually brought her out of it. Not only did she survive, but there was no serious brain damage. She recently graduated from college and is doing very well."

McGee sat up straighter. "So, if you put me into a coma, we can beat this thing?"

Now DeKay hesitated. "I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. So far, it's only been successful on a handful children and adolescents, none of which were bitten by a dog. The strain of rabies carried by dogs is by far the most virulent when it comes to humans. Some researchers believe this protocol only worked because these children had been infected by weaker strains of the virus."

McGee sat back. A wave of nausea washed over him. "So, what are you saying exactly?"

DeKay sighed as he ran his hand through his wiry hair. "What I'm saying Tim, is that your chance of survival using the protocol is less than 10%, but it's the only chance you've got. If we don't try this, you will definitely be dead in less than a week. If we do, you will probably still die, but being in a coma, you'll at least be spared the suffering that goes along with late stage rabies."

McGee looked away. He felt overwhelmed with exhaustion. "There's no magic bullet."

"No, Tim, I'm sorry to say, there isn't." DeKay laid a hand on Tim's shoulder. "But, there is still a chance.

xxxxxxxxxx

That morning, Gibbs arrived early as usual and began to go through his list of chores for the day. The lull in new cases wouldn't last, and he wanted catch up with what he could in the meantime.

Ziva and Tony arrived a short while later. "All I'm sayin' is McGeek better be here with the coffee, and it better be right. Last time he got me a caramel latte with whipped cream. Do I look like a caramel latte with whipped cream kinda guy?" Tony's grumbling could be heard across the room.

"I am very sure McGee will not fail in his mission," said Ziva, her exasperation barely contained. "Last time you bought, the coffee you got for McGee was so strong he was jumping off the walls."

"Bouncing…_bouncing_ off the walls." Tony grinned at the memory. "Yeah, that was pretty funny." He glanced over at McGee's empty desk. "Well, where is McTardy, anyway? I need my caffeine to get me going."

"He won't be here."

Tony and Ziva looked up to see Director Shepard coming down the stairs. Her face was grim.

"Morning, Jenny," grunted Gibbs as he looked up from the report he'd been studying. He frowned. "Something wrong?"

Jenny sighed deeply "I have some bad news, Jethro. It concerns Agent McGee."

Exchanging glances, Tony and Ziva moved in closer as Gibbs leaned back in his chair. Gibbs peered at Jenny through narrowed eyes. "Go on."

"I got a call a short while ago from a Dr. DeKay at the Pax River Military Bioresearch facility. They study diseases of all kinds. Anyway, Dr. DeKay apparently specializes in rabies research. He called to inform me that Agent McGee has tested positive for rabies." Jenny paused and looked down at her clenched hands. "Jethro, that boy is going to die."

Gibbs stared at her for a long minute, his mind whirling. _Rabies? How could McGee have gotten rabies? Unless… _"The Pax River drug case."

"Rabies?" asked Ziva, frowning in confusion as she recalled the case. "But how could a military dog have rabies? Are they not all vaccinated?"

Jenny nodded. "Yes, military dogs are always vaccinated. But it turns out that dog wasn't a military dog. I'm not sure of the details, just that the dog you thought was Petty Officer Hanson's wasn't. It was a dog stolen from a rabies research lab."

"But…but that was like two months ago," said Tony looking back and forth between Gibbs and the director. "If he'd gotten rabies from that dog, wouldn't it have shown up a long time ago?"

"The incubation time for rabies can be anywhere from two weeks to over a year," replied Jenny.

Gibbs rubbed his eyes. "McGee even worried he might get rabies. Everybody just brushed him off. We thought the dog was a military animal."

"In which case, its shots would all be current." Jenny stared off for a moment.

"I was just kidding about the rabies and Cujo thing," mumbled Tone, his face stricken. "I never really thought McGee had rabies. It was just a joke…" he trailed off. He looked back at Gibbs. "But can't they just give him the vaccine?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Once the symptoms show up, it's too late." He was suddenly very tired. "Where is McGee now?"

"Bethesda. I'm heading over there now. Do you want to come with me?"

Gibbs hesitated. "I need to tell Abby."

Jenny grimaced. "I realize Abby hasn't been exactly…friendly towards McGee since that dog died."

"No." Gibbs found that he had little patience with Abby's attitude towards McGee these days. McGee shot the dog with good cause – the thing was trying to rip his head off. Yet Abby refused to see that. She continued to blame poor McGee for the dog's eventual death. Well, if the dog had rabies, it would have died or been put down anyway. How would she feel if McGee died because of this? He sighed.

"Okay. I'm going. Come when you can." Jenny laid a hand on Gibb's arm for an instant and then was gone.

Gibbs sat silently for a long time. He felt stunned. _Damn_ _McGee, you didn't deserve this. _He glanced at the clock. Abby should be in her lab. He might as well get this over with.

Abby was happily buzzing around her lab, setting up tests, checking the calibration of several of her machines, and just getting ready for the day. She deeply loved her job. She glanced down and spied the envelope of photos McGee had delivered the day before. She scowled. McGee. Jeeze. What was wrong with him anyway? He was still hung up on proving he was justified in shooting that poor, innocent dog. She, at least, had a clear conscious. She had done everything she could to save poor Jethro. But in the end, McGee's bullet had killed her puppy. She scowled even deeper. Rabies, ha. And he was supposed to be smart.

She grabbed the envelope and as she dropped it on her pile of things to do, spotted Gibbs standing silently in the doorway with Tony and Ziva hovering in the background.

"Gibbs!" She grinned in delight. "You're here bright and early! Well, maybe not early for you 'cuz I know you always get here early, but then you don't usually come straight down here. You know…"

"Abs."

Abby was halted in mid-babble by the grim tone of Gibbs's voice. She turned to look at him and felt a cold chill. He had on his bad news face. She glanced at Tony and Ziva. They looked no happier. Something was very wrong.

"Gibbs? Don't look at me like that. You're scaring me. What's wrong?"

"It's McGee," he began, but Abby shut him down.

"No! I don't want to hear about that horrible dog-killer. He murdered Jethro in cold blood, and I don't care what happens to him now. Whatever his stupid problem is, he deserves it. Besides, it's probably just a cold or a hang nail or something." She crossed her arms and glared.

Gibbs stared at her. Then shook his head. Who was this woman? Was she really so cold hearted that she would put a dog ahead of a member of the team? He thought he knew her, but now he wondered if he knew Abby at all.

"You are going to listen to me, Abby," snapped Gibbs stepping closer. His eyes were hard. "McGee may be dying."

Abby's mouth opened then closed. She blinked, her arms dropping to her sides. "What do you mean…dying?"

Gibbs looked away for a moment then stared deeply into Abby's wide eyes. "That dog, that Jethro, was not Petty Officer Hanson's dog. I don't know any of the details at this point beyond the fact that Jethro was actually a medical research dog."

Abby stared at him, her brow knitted. "Medical research?"

"Rabies, Abs, the dog had rabies. And now, so does McGee."

Abby was speechless. Hadn't McGee come to her just yesterday afternoon going on about rabies? She'd brushed him off, figuring he was just being his usual paranoid self. But, it seemed she was wrong. Very, very wrong. She turned to the others, but she found no comfort there. She collapsed on a stool trying to process this, tears pooling in her eyes.

"But if he tested positive for rabies…" she trailed off and looked to Gibbs fearfully.

"Then he's a dead man," finished Gibbs.

"Oh Gibbs!" moaned Abby bursting into tears. "I've been so awful to him! Always blaming him for Jethro's death. But if Jethro had rabies he could have bitten other people! I feel horrible. I've got to go see Tim and tell him how sorry I am! Where is he, Gibbs?" Abby clutched her hands tightly to her chest, her eyes pleading with Gibbs to take her to McGee.

"He's at Bethesda," replied Gibbs, putting his arm around Abby. "I don't know how he's doing, but Director Shepard is over there now. I wanted to wait until I could talk to you."

Abby just nodded. Gibbs lightly kissed the top of her head. "C'mon, Abs, let's go find McGee."

As they all prepared to leave, Tony turned to Ziva. "It really is always fatal, isn't it?"

"What is always fatal, Anthony?" The group turned to find Ducky standing in the doorway, coat in hand. He paused, noting the grim faces of the team. "Is there something wrong?"

Abby began crying again. Now Tony took her in his arms to comfort her. Gibbs sighed. "Yeah, Ducky. Very wrong. That dog that bit McGee a coupla months ago wasn't a drug sniffing dog. Turns out he was a rabies research animal."

Ducky stood stunned. "Rabies? Are you certain? So does that mean Timothy…"

Gibbs' jaw tightened. "Yeah, Duck. That's what I was told. We're heading over to Bethesda now."

Ducky began to put his coat back on. "I'm coming with you."

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. They are much appreciated. The story may be a bit longer than I expected, but I guess that will be OK. **


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

McGee lay silently in the hospital bed watching the herd of medical personnel, anonymous behind their masks, bustling around. They were making preparations to put him into a coma, as deep a coma as possible without actually killing him. It was a very tricky process. He was in an isolation ward now. Rabies being highly infectious meant he could possibly pass on the virus to someone else.

He closed his eyes as he recalled the conversation he'd had earlier with his parents. At first, they didn't believe him. After all, how many people actually contract rabies in the US these days? Then, the shock of the situation kicked in. He could still hear his mother's sobs. They were on their way to Washington, but it was going to take some time. His father was currently on assignment in Okinawa. Sarah, Tim's sister, as well has his grandmother, Penny, had been there visiting. Now, it was unlikely he would ever see any of them again. Isolation ward was more appropriate than anyone knew. McGee had never felt more alone in his life.

He rubbed his throbbing head. The symptoms were getting progressively worse. His throat was so sore he couldn't swallow. His entire body ached and the pain in his arm and neck now was constant. His hand was virtually useless. He glanced up and saw Director Shepherd standing outside the observation window; her large, expressive eyes reflected his fear. They had let her speak with him for a moment. The conversation ran through his head.

"Tim, I am so sorry about this. If only we'd known…" she stared at him helplessly.

"It's not your fault, Director." Tim wondered why he was trying to make her feel better when he was the one facing certain death. "It never occurred to any of us that the dog wasn't Hanson's."

If only…those words echoed through his mind over and over again. If only they had thought to check the dog's ID number…if only someone had taken his fears seriously…if only he'd had the vaccine right after he was bitten. If only…

He sighed, then winced as the nurse slid in the IV needle. "I'm sorry, Agent McGee." Tim could only see the nurse's eyes, the rest of her face covered with a mask. She did look sorry. He looked away. He was sorry too. He was sorry he was lying in this hospital bed about to be put into a coma from which it was highly unlikely he would ever awaken. He wanted to cry, to scream, to throw things. But he didn't. What good would it do?

"Tim?" McGee turned to see Dr. DeKay standing next to his bed. Unlike the others, he was not wearing all the protective gear. After years of working with rabies, his regular booster immunizations kept him well protected. "Director Shepard tells me your team will be here in just a few minutes. They want to see you before we…put you under. Is that all right with you?"

Tim closed his eyes briefly, his anger stirred. So, now they care? Where were they when that dog used him for a chew toy? They didn't seem to care much then. Yet, a part of him was desperate to see them. He felt an unreasonable surge of hope. Maybe Gibbs could swoop in and pull some last minute rescue out of his hat. McGee gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. No, that wasn't going to happen this time. Gibbs had managed a few miracles in his time, but this wasn't going to be one of them. He was not God. Then he thought again about how the others had mocked him for worrying he might have rabies, about DiNozzo putting in the attack dog video in his computer, and especially about Abby and her accusations and the way she'd shunned him. Did he really want to see these people?

His sighed. Yeah, despite all that, he did. Even Abby. They were his family for all practical purposes. He didn't want the last faces he saw to be just those of total strangers. He turned to the doctor and nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."

DeKay nodded and placed his hand on McGee's shoulder. "We don't have much time, Tim. We've got to get this started as soon as possible. Every minute we delay allows the virus to get that much stronger a foothold."

Five minutes later, there was a knock at his door. It swung open to reveal several masked figures. All but one. Abby hovered behind the others, unsure of her welcome. For a moment, McGee felt a surge of triumph. _See?_ His mind said. _I really did have rabies_. But then he spotted Abby's tear stained face. His heart melted and he smiled at her. He knew he should have blown her off, but now was not the time to hold grudges. Despite the way she'd treated him, he still cared for her. _But if I do somehow survive this, _he thought grimly_, things are going to be very different._

"Oh, McGee!" Abby dissolved into fresh tears and rushed over to McGee's bed. She threw herself into his arms. "I'm so sorry! I was such a jerk. Please forgive me!" McGee awkwardly wrapped his arms around her and stared helplessly at the rest of the team. It was hard to look at the fear in their eyes.

"Hey, McGeek," said Tony. He lowered his mask and gave Tim a weak grin. Then he looked down at the floor for a moment before stepping forward. "Listen, Tim, I am really sorry about all the stuff I've done. I mean, the dog video…um…" He trailed off unhappily. "Listen man, you'll beat this. I know it."

McGee tried to smile. "Thanks, Tony."

Ziva stepped forward, her dark eyes reflecting her grief. "I am so sorry I did not take your fears seriously. Perhaps if we had…" Like Tony, she couldn't continue. She had always liked the gentle McGee, and she found the thought of him suffering through the ravages of rabies was deeply disturbing to her. She had seen a child die of the disease in Lebanon. It was a horrific experience.

Ducky stood beside her. "Timothy, I should be the one to apologize for not taking you seriously. When you expressed your fears about rabies after you were bitten, I ignored you. That was terribly wrong of me."

Tim felt embarrassed. "Um, listen guys, it wasn't your fault. We…we all thought the dog had had its shots."

Suddenly, Dr. DeKay appeared in the doorway. His face was apologetic. "Tim. It's time."

McGee's mouth went dry. He tried to swallow but his throat was so sore all he could do was wince. He looked beseechingly at his friends as if they might be able to stop what was going to happen. They stared back at him, their stricken expressions telling him all he needed to know. They felt as helpless as he did. Slowly, murmuring words of encouragement, they turned to leave until only Gibbs remained.

McGee's pain-filled gaze met Gibbs'. "Boss…my parents…I…" McGee stopped and made a helpless gesture.

"It's all right, Tim," said Gibbs with quiet reassurance. "I'll talk to them."

"Tell them I love them." McGee's voice was barely above a whisper. He glanced at the bedside table. "I wrote letters…"

Gibbs simply nodded, then laid a hand on Tim's arm and looked him directly in the eye. "Tim, fight this. You can do it."

McGee gave a weak laugh. "The odds of my surviving…"

"Damn the odds," growled Gibbs moving closer. "_I_ say you're going to beat this. You are not going to die, do you understand me, McGee?"

Tim blinked then silently nodded. Gibbs squeezed his arm. "I'll see you when you wake up." Gibbs turned and followed the others out of the room. Tim glanced at Dr. DeKay who was staring after Gibbs, his face thoughtful. Then with a deep sigh, he turned to McGee.

"All right, Tim. Let's get this show on the road."

Several nurses appeared nearby. McGee could hear them softly talking amongst themselves but he tuned them out. In his mind, he was saying good-bye to his loved ones. In his heart, he didn't believe he would ever see any of them again. His mother was the last person he thought of as he drifted off into oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Gibbs stood near the baggage claim at Dulles awaiting the arrival of McGee's family. Alert, he studied the people milling around the carousel awaiting their luggage. So far, the McGees had not shown up. Gibbs already knew Tim's sister, Sarah and his grandmother, Penny so figured he'd have no trouble picking them out. Ten minutes later, they appeared.

There was no mistaking Admiral Michael McGee as Tim's father. Despite what Gibbs knew about the difference in their personalities, Tim was the spitting image of his father. Right now, the admiral looked distracted and exhausted. The short, dark haired woman by his side must be McGee's mother, Eileen. Gibbs nodded. Sarah definitely took after her mother.

"Gibbs!" Gibbs looked to the right and met the eyes of Tim's irrepressible grandmother, Penelope Langston. She hurried over to him with the rest of the family trailing behind. "How is he? How's Timothy?" She turned to Tim's parents. "This is Agent Gibbs, Timothy's boss."

Gibbs looked from her to the anxious faces of the others. Tim's mother's eyes were red-rimmed as if she'd been crying. "They've put him in the coma," he replied quietly. "So far nothing has changed."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" demanded Admiral McGee, his voice rough from exhaustion.

Gibbs nodded. "Every day he survives improves his chances."

"Timothy is strong," said Penny fiercely. "He'll come out of this. He's a _McGee!_" She put her arm around Sarah.

Gibbs glanced at Sarah's face. She looked haunted. She wouldn't meet Gibbs' gaze.

"We want to see, Tim," said Mrs. McGee in a quavering voice. "Please, can you take us there?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Gibbs. He saw the Admiral had snagged their luggage. Grabbing a couple of the bags, Gibbs led the way to the vehicle.

As they began their trip to Bethesda, Admiral McGee turned to face Gibbs. "All right, Agent Gibbs, do you want to explain to me exactly how my son could have contracted rabies, and no one knew about it?"

Gibbs tightened his jaw. He had asked himself that same question. He glanced at his passenger. "Sir, it was a mistake, that's all I can say. The dog that bit Tim was assumed to be a standard drug sniffing military dog which meant he would have had all the appropriate vaccinations, including rabies. What we didn't know was that Petty Officer Hanson's dog, Butch, had been killed earlier and replaced with a dog stolen from medical research lab."

"Who killed Butch?" asked Penny from the backseat. Gibbs saw her watching him in the rear view mirror. She would want to know every detail of this fiasco.

Gibbs sighed. He really had hoped he wouldn't have to go into all this. "Petty Officer Erica Perelli. She was another dog handler who murdered Hanson. It was all part of a drug smuggling operation. Perelli admitted that killing Butch was an accident. She then needed another dog to leave at the murder scene so everyone would assume it was Hanson's own dog that had killed him. A friend got her the dog from the lab. Perelli knew Butch would be put down. That's Navy policy in the case where a dog kills someone, so she didn't worry much about where the dog had come from. She just paid off the guy and left the dog at Hanson's. She didn't know it had been infected with rabies."

"My god," moaned Mrs. McGee. She buried her face in her hands. Penny reached over and put her arm around her daughter-in-law. Sarah remained stoically silent.

"So how did you finally figure out it wasn't the same dog?" Admiral McGee was glaring at him openly now.

"McGee, Tim, just recently discovered a discrepancy in the dogs' identification numbers while doing some routine paperwork. Up until then, we all assumed we were dealing with a single animal."

"You're telling me, that no one, _not one single person_ thought to check the dog's ID number?" demanded the admiral, his voice rising. "Especially after the animal attacked one of your own agents? Don't you have forensics people or someone that follow up on these kinds of things? I mean, that dog was part of the evidence, right?"

Gibbs inwardly winced. Oh yes, they did have a forensics person. And under most circumstances, she was a stellar forensics scientist, but this case had been different. Abby had been so determined to prove that Jethro hadn't killed Hanson, she ignored a lot of protocol. In the end, she was right, so Gibbs let things slide. Big mistake.

"I demand an investigation be made into to how this could have happened," continued Admiral McGee, his jaw set. "If you people are so shoddy in your work, who knows what else you've slipped up on?"

"Sir, we realize we made a mistake. _I_ made a mistake in not making sure everything was covered."

"You're damn right you made a mistake, Agent Gibbs. And my son is paying the price. I never wanted him to join this dog and pony show you call the NCIS. A real waste of Tim's talents. And now, because of your incompetence, he's going to die."

Gibbs had no response. Admiral McGee was right. They had screwed up. Sure, it was understandable. No one had any reason to think Jethro wasn't Hanson's dog, Butch. But all it would have taken was a couple of minutes to compare Jethro's ID number with Butch's. That simple action would have saved McGee's life. But it was Gibbs' fault. He was responsible for every member of his team, and he'd let Abby get carried away with her obsession. He'd assumed she was doing her job never once thinking she might let something slide in her eagerness to vindicate Jethro.

"Did you speak with Tim before…before they put him under?" McGee's mother tentatively broke the silence.

"Yes ma'am," replied Gibbs. "He, well, he wanted me to tell you all that he loved you. And that he's going to fight as hard as he can."

Admiral McGee swallowed hard but said nothing. Gibbs could only imagine what was going through the man's mind. He knew that the admiral and his son were not close although Tim had made some overtures towards his dad, trying to find a way to bridge the gap. Gibbs thought there had been some improvement, but with the admiral being overseas for the past several months, not much more had happened.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, each person wrapped in their own thoughts. Gibbs dropped the family off at the door, then parked. He met them back in the lobby. They seemed reluctant to venture off on their own. Gibbs didn't entirely blame them. As long as they didn't actually see Tim, they could still pretend in some corner of their minds that none of this was really happening. Once they saw him, the fantasy was over.

The journey to Tim's room was not a long one but to Gibbs it felt endless. The McGees' fear and grief emanated from them like a physical being; it filled the room. They all knew that Tim's chances of survival were less than 10%, but even that was enough to give them hope. They didn't care that previous survivors had all been children infected with less virulent strains. Tim was not dead yet, and as long as that was true, hope would remain, but so would the fear.

They stood outside the observation window and stared into Tim's room. The hallway was filled by the sound of Mrs. McGee's wrenching sobs. Gibbs stood back from the family in an attempt to give them privacy, but it was impossible not to observe their reactions. The admiral put an arm around his wife and his daughter, his jaw clenched. Gibbs knew he was trying to keep it together for his family. Penny stood silent beside him, her arms wrapped protectively around her body. Like her son, her jaw was set. Sarah looked bleakly at her brother, silent tears gently trickling down her pale cheeks.

Gibbs looked past them at Tim. His heart clenched. You could barely see the young man through all the tubes and wires they had hooked up to him. Gibbs knew the doctor hoped to prevent the virus from hijacking the brain and sending out the destructive signals that would invariably lead to McGee's death, but it looked terrifying. He stared at Tim's ashen face, his eyes like dark bruises. Suddenly, the urgent squeal of an alarm sounded.

The room burst into action. McGee's body being was wracked by convulsions and two nurses struggled to hold him down while a third fastened straps around him. Dr. DeKay rushed past Gibbs and the McGees into the room. He quickly injected something into McGee's IV, then watched, his face tense, for several moments. Gibbs slowly released his breath as McGee's seizure gradually subsided. Dr. DeKay checked the output of the various machines then nodded. He said something to the nurses then turned. His worried gaze met Gibbs'. His view shifted and Gibbs saw his eyes widen as he took in the horrified expressions of the McGees. He glanced back at his patient then exited the room. Gibbs and the McGees turned to face him as he approached.

"Dr. DeKay, this is Tim's family," began Gibbs as Admiral McGee pushed himself forward.

"You are responsible for my son's care?" demanded the elder McGee.

"Yes, sir," replied the doctor looking exhausted. "I am Dr. DeKay."

Admiral McGee swallowed then went on. "How…how is he?"

The doctor sighed. "Admiral, all I can say is that your son is still alive. As you know, he has been infected with rabies which is considered one hundred percent fatal. However, I am attempting the Milwaukee Protocol which means I've put him into a chemically induced coma. I am hoping this will prevent the virus from causing the damage usually associated with rabies, and give Tim's immune system, along with the antivirals we're giving him, a chance to fight the infection."

"Do _you_ think it will work?" asked Penny with a frown.

DeKay looked away for a moment. "It has. In a few select cases." Penny stared harder. DeKay sighed again. "Two girls were bitten by bats and one scratched by a feral cat. Some researchers believe they survived because they were young with strong immune systems and the viral strain was relatively weak. Rabies carried by dogs is considered the most dangerous to humans."

"And no dog bite victims have survived?" Penny wanted to know it all.

"There are few cases of rabies in dogs in the US," replied DeKay evasively. "Most people infected are bitten by bats. It's still lethal, but now we think there is a future in treatment after symptoms have developed."

"Has his immune system shown any reaction?" Gibbs glanced at Penny and suppressed a smile. She was like a dog with a bone.

Again, DeKay looked uncomfortable. "Not as of yet. But it's only been a day. There is still hope."

"Can we go in?" asked Mrs. McGee, her eyes were pleading.

DeKay hesitated, then nodded. "You'll need to suit up, and only two at a time. There's not much room in there." He signaled a nurse who led the family away to get ready. He turned back to Gibbs.

"You saw what happened?"

Gibbs nodded. "Didn't look good."

DeKay shook his head. "No. It shouldn't have happened. We have him on anti-seizure medication." He glanced down the hallway where the McGee's had disappeared. "I don't know how much I should tell them," he sighed, running his hand across his chin. "I'm a research physician. I don't usually deal with patients that talk or have families."

Gibbs nodded. "I suggest you be up front. McGee's grandmother is a scientist and from what I know of her, a damn good one. She, for one, will keep at you for information. Just give them all the facts."

DeKay looked through the observation window. "Even when those facts may destroy any hope they have that he'll survive?"

"Especially then. Doc, I know bedside manner might not be your strong suit, but these people want and deserve the truth. They'd rather have that than false hope."

"I guess you're right, Agent Gibbs." He saw a nurse lead Admiral McGee and his wife into the room and left them with their son. Mrs. McGee wiped away her tears as she gently stroked her son's hair. DeKay's throat tightened. This is why he went into research. Dealing with grieving families wasn't something he was any good at. Even in medical school, he'd managed to avoid dealing with that unhappy aspect of medicine. While field researchers when out to study rabies in actual people, DeKay was content to stay in the lab working with his cultures and test tubes. He turned away, wanting to give the McGees some privacy.

He paused and regarded Gibbs thoughtfully. "Before we put Tim under, you told him he wasn't going to die. That you would see him when he woke up. When I looked at Tim, I could see he actually believed you. Or at least some part of him did. I'm curious. Do you often tell people that?"

Gibbs said nothing but glanced back at the observation window. "If I believe it, yeah." He turned his gaze directly towards the doctor. "I didn't give him permission to die, and my agents know better than to disobey a direct order."

DeKay stared at him for a long moment then nodded. "I can believe that, Agent Gibbs. I hope Tim listened." Then, gripping his clipboard tightly to his chest, he turned and disappeared down the hall.

Gibbs turned back to the scene in Tim's room a moment longer then turned away. The clenched muscles of his jaw the only indication of his own grief. _Don't give up, Tim. Don't. Give. Up._

**A/N Again, thank you all for your reviews! Guess I didn't realize how many people were also really ticked with Abby in this episode. And, now, let the angst begin. **


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Tony sat at the bar where he often hung out after work to relax. But tonight, no amount of liquor would help. He stared into the scotch he'd been nursing for the past hour. The ice had melted long ago. His mind whirled with confused, desperate thoughts. _McGee. Not McGee._ He rubbed his eyes as he again replayed the day's events.

When Director Shepherd first announced Tim had rabies, Tony had almost laughed. Really? Rabies? It was like a bad joke. Nobody gets rabies any more. He associated the disease more with movies like "Old Yeller" than with the real world. Okay, maybe in places like Africa or Asia where they didn't vaccinate their dogs he could understand rabies being a problem, but here? In Washington, D.C.? It just didn't seem possible. Until he saw Tim.

He closed his eyes, his throat tight. The fear in Tim's eyes had almost undone him. When he'd first caught sight of Tim in that hospital with the machines beeping and the tubes snaking down the sides of the bed he thought he was going to be sick. That image turned a bad joke into an even worse reality. Tim had tried to be upbeat, but they all knew the odds. Tony could barely remember what he'd said to McGee. Did he give him encouragement? Tell him how much Tim meant to him? No. _I apologized for all the crap I pulled. _He shook his head in disgust. _All I cared about was making myself feel better_. He shouldn't have had anything to apologize about. He should have treated McGee right. Not pulled stupid pranks on him.

He thought back a couple of months. To the time when they were working on the Hanson case. He inwardly winced. He'd been so callous when Tim had been attacked by that dog. On the other hand, he remembered all too clearly the stab of fear when he'd heard the gunshot. Somehow, after fearing his partner had been shot, a dog bite seemed pretty insignificant. But it had been more than a simple bite hadn't it? The dog had really chewed up McGee's arm and even gone for his neck. Yet, no one seemed particularly concerned about the injured agent.

Then Tony put that dog attack video in Tim's computer. He'd laughed so hard when Tim leaped out his chair, practically climbing the cubical wall. And that look of abject terror on his face - priceless. Priceless? Tony took a swig of his drink and grimaced. Damn. What had he been thinking? Would he have been laughing if McGee had done something like that to him? Say like sent him a card with baby powder or something in it? Tony shuddered remembering the time he'd been infected with the plague from a booby-trapped note. For the first time, he had an inkling of what Tim must have felt like. He didn't like it. God, what an ass he was.

Tony shook his head. Now McGee was lying in the hospital hooked up to all kinds of tubes and machines in a coma so deep he was just a fraction away from death. Tony had done some research. He had little doubt of the outcome in this scenario. Tim would be dead by the end of the week. That so-called Milwaukee Protocol had saved a couple of kids, but there was no evidence it would work for a grown man, especially one bitten by a dog. But, humans were funny things. If there was any teeniest chance of survival, they'd go for it, no matter how unlikely the results. And even if Tim did survive, what would he be like? Would he be brain damaged in some way? Maybe crippled? There was no way to tell. Too many unknowns, and Tony didn't like unknowns.

Tony signaled the bartender for a new drink as he recalled Tim's early days on the team. The poor kid had been so terrified of doing anything wrong. He smiled thinking about the time Kate had found McGee under her desk where he'd gone to hook up some cables. Tony was sure the kid was going to die of embarrassment. Or how they used to take bets on how long it would take for Tim to throw up any time they were on a ship. Yet, McGee had hung in there. No matter how many times Tony superglued his keyboard or booby-trapped his desk, McGee never lost it.

Well, he did almost…once. The time he'd shot that undercover cop. Tony took the drink from the bartender with a nod. The smooth, smoky taste of the scotch burned its way down his throat. He absently twirled the ice in the glass and watched as a bead of moisture trailed its way down the side. That had been a really tough assignment. McGee was devastated when he'd discovered the man he'd shot had been an undercover cop. They later learned the cop's own partner had also put a bullet in the guy, but even Abby couldn't definitely prove McGee's bullet hadn't delivered the fatal blow. Tony knew that still ate at the younger man. Tony smiled slightly as he recalled trying to cheer McGee up. It hadn't been easy. They sat up half the night watching old movies and eating pizza. He liked to think they'd bonded some that night. Shooting someone changed a man, and McGee had never been quite the same afterwards.

Suddenly, anger flared and Tony slammed his glass down on the bar. "Damn it!" He snarled. Several people glanced at him. It wasn't fair! McGee was one of the good ones. Despite everything they'd gone through over the years, there was still a certain innocence about Timothy McGee. He'd proved himself many times over, but he never came across as jaded or cynical as Tony knew he sometimes did.

He couldn't lose another partner. He just couldn't. Kate's death still haunted him. Kate. Her death had been a blow to all of them. Poor McGee had managed to muster up just enough courage to go down to autopsy by himself to view Kate's remains after Ari had murdered her. Tony had been impressed. Tim wasn't like him or Gibbs or Ziva. He didn't have a law enforcement or military background. He was a computer geek and science nerd. His experience with death had been very limited, and Tony knew how much Tim had liked and admired Kate. It was never easy viewing a corpse, especially not one belonging to a friend. But Tim had wanted to say good-bye. Tony found him in autopsy, pale, but determined. Again, proving there was more to Tim McGee than people gave him credit for. Tony cursed again. He couldn't imagine facing another empty desk day after day. He just couldn't do that again.

He shook his head. He'd had other partners before. Why was Tim different? Tony paused, his drink halfway to his mouth as he pondered this. Then it hit him. At NCIS, he had found a family in his team that he'd always wanted, and Tim was like the younger brother he'd never had. Deep down, he feared that their team would be broken up and scattered to the winds. It happened all the time. Losing Kate had been devastating, and now knowing he would lose Tim was almost more than he could bear.

"Tony?"

Tony looked up to see Ziva standing beside him, her dark eyes reflecting her concern. "Are you all right?"

Tony gulped down the rest of his drink and signaled the bartender for another. "No, Ziva, I am not all right. I will never be all right again." He now turned his full attention on her. This time, his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I can't lose another one, Ziva. Tim is like my brother. Sure, I've treated him like crap, but he's still like a brother, and now he's going to die, and I'll never be able to make it up to him." He turned away, his head low on his slumped shoulders.

Ziva slid onto the stool beside him and signaled the bartender for a drink. She said nothing for a long time. She all too well understood the pain of loss. Hadn't she lost both her mother and sister to a suicide bomber? Hadn't she killed her own half-brother to save Gibbs? She had lost more than one partner while working for the Mossad, yet, when she thought of McGee's impending death, her throat tightened with an unfamiliar pain. Over the years, she had learned to keep her grief hidden from the outside world.

She liked McGee. She remembered how uncomfortable it had been when she'd first arrived after Agent Todd's death. Tony had been very disagreeable, not wanting to think of anyone replacing Kate. But McGee had been different. Despite the pain of his loss, he was still welcoming to her. She didn't think he had it in him to be rude. More than once, she'd wondered how someone with his kind disposition had made it so long in law enforcement. Yes, much of his work involved computers, but he'd had his share of field work and did what was needed. Yet somehow, he kept his soul intact. After all she'd been through, Ziva sometimes doubted she still had one. She frowned as an image of an empty desk crossed her mind. She clenched her jaw against her sorrow.

She glanced at Tony. It was obvious he'd had more than one drink. But as was often the case with alcohol, it was only fueling his grief. It pained her to see Tony like this. Happy-go-lucky or sarcastic Tony she could deal with. Sorrowful Tony was something else altogether.

"You shoulda seen McGee when he first joined us," Tony said glancing at her. "If you think he's geeky now, you shoulda seen him then. He was terrified of everything. But you know." He took a drink. "He didn't let Gibbs scare him off. He kept coming back. He had guts. I…I just never told him that enough."

"Tony," replied Ziva, "This is not your fault. If it is anyone's it is Erica Perelli's. She is the one that killed Petty Officer Hansen's dog and replaced it with the rabid animal."

Tony grunted. "Yeah, Perelli. Did you know she tested negative for rabies? It's just not fair. She murdered a guy, smuggled drugs, planted a rabid dog and yet, it's McGee who is paying the price." He picked up his glass. "And you're wrong, Ziva. It _is_ our fault. All of ours. Every last one of us. We blew him off. Did nothing. Never showed him an ounce of sympathy. Damn, I even pulled stupid pranks on him afterwards. We never said anything to Abby about the crappy way she was treating him. We just ignored it." He now turned to face her. "And now look what's happened. Because of us, because of our damned indifference, McGee is dying."

"He might still survive, Tony."

"Ha!" Tony shook his head. "I read up about that Milwaukee Protocol, Ziva. It's never worked on an adult or anyone bitten by a dog. It's only saved a coupla kids bitten by a bat or scratched by a cat. There's really no reason to think it's gonna save McGee. That doctor's just grasping at straws."

Ziva set her jaw stubbornly. "Maybe so, but I have seen many unbelievable things in my life. People who should have died but did not. I know it is unlikely that McGee will live, but I will continue to hope."

Tony downed the rest of his drink and got to his feet. He stumbled a little but his eyes were clear. "I hope you're right, Ziva, because I'm not sure I can do another funeral." He slapped some money down on the bar, turned and left.

Ziva watched him disappear through the bar door before turning back to her own drink. She drained the glass then closed her eyes, and did something she had not done in a very long time. She began to pray.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Abby couldn't sleep. She'd finally given up just past 3 A.M. and dragged herself into her lab. Now she sat huddled on the floor next to her beloved mass spectrometer hugging her stuffed farting hippo, Bert. She felt like a lost little girl.

When they left the hospital after saying good-bye to Tim, she'd felt numb. The tears dried up as she clamped down on her feelings. This was not easy for someone as sensitive as Abby Sciuto. She was used to wearing her emotions on her sleeve for all the world to see. But seeing Tim laying there in that bed, the terror and resignation in his eyes, had broken something inside of her.

Why had she been so awful to Tim? Sure, she'd been sympathetic when he'd first arrived at the garage bloodied and bandaged, but when she'd seen poor Jethro lying in the backseat bound and muzzled, she'd lost it. Abby loved animals of all kinds and couldn't bear to see one mistreated in any fashion. She pushed away the knowledge that this dog had attacked and bitten McGee. She ignored his obvious pain and turned on him, focusing her pity solely on the dog before her.

When McGee had tried to defend himself, explain how the dog had attacked him, she blew him off. Acted like he'd exaggerated the whole thing. Obviously, he must have provoked the poor animal in some way. She winced as she recalled her "Bad McGee!" taunt. She'd seen the hurt in his eyes and totally disregarded it.

But it hadn't stopped there. Oh no. She'd continued to give him the cold shoulder, the reproachful looks, the snarky responses. She had been determined to save that dog's life and prove him innocent. Well, in the end, she did prove him innocent. Turned out it was Perelli's dog that had killed Hansen. But what difference did it make? Jethro's wounds became infected and he'd died shortly afterwards. Perhaps it was his impaired immune system that caused it. He was already infected with rabies. But she didn't know that. So, she blamed the person who'd shot Jethro in the first place – Timothy McGee.

No one had taken him seriously after he was attacked. Everyone treated it like some kind of joke. Tony had even put an attack dog CD in Tim's computer scaring him half to death. They didn't think about how that must have felt to Tim. Palmer told her later that Tim had come down to autopsy to ask Dr. Mallard about rabies. Apparently Tony had put the idea in his head. Dr. Mallard just passed him off to Palmer who assured Tim there was no way on earth he could have gotten rabies from that dog. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Abby buried her face in Bert's soft belly and took a deep shuddering breath. Tim had tried to warn her the other day. About the rabies. As mean as she'd been to him, he still came down and tried to tell her. And, what did she do? She accused him of being melodramatic and told him to get lost. He already knew he was infected, she was sure of that, even if they hadn't tested him yet. He must have been terrified, yet he'd said nothing. Just took her abuse and left. There had been no one there for him. And all she'd cared about was the dog. And despite all that, he'd still forgiven her. She could still see his smile, welcoming her back, despite the terror reflected in his eyes. He was a much better person than she'd ever be.

Now, the tears returned. Deep, ragged sobs wracked her body as the reality of Tim's situation crashed down on her once again. He was going to die. There was no doubt in her mind. She'd done the research, knew the odds. Putting Tim into a coma wouldn't save him. All it would do was spare him from the agonies of dying from late stage rabies. But, the result would be the same. He would be dead. And she, Abby Sciuto would have to live with the pain and the guilt.

"Abigail?"

Abby looked up. Only a few lights were on in the lab but it was enough to make out the form of Dr. Mallard. "Ducky?"

"Yes, my dear, it is I. Are you all right?" Ducky moved deeper into the lab. He stooped down to look at Abby. He held out his hand.

Sobbing, Abby took and rose from the floor. Ducky enveloped her in a deep embrace while her body shook. "It's all right, Abby. Let it out."

"It's not all right, Ducky!" cried Abby, sobbing even harder. "I was so awful to him! It should be me in that hospital bed, not him! He was right to shoot that dog. I mean, Jethro was already sick and would have had to be put down anyway, and he could have bitten someone else! But I didn't think about how much pain Tim must have been in. I just thought about the dog. And there McGee was, all bandaged up and bleeding, and I told him he was bad! I even said 'bad McGee' like he was the dog. What kind of friend would do that, Ducky? A friend would have been sympathetic, but I yelled at him!"

Ducky opened his mouth to speak, but Abby was on a roll. "And later, after Jethro died, I was even worse. I didn't want to see him or talk to him or anything. I was so mean. He tried to warn me about the rabies, Ducky. He was worried about _me_, even after the way I treated him. And what did I do? I yelled at him to quit being such a drama queen and to go away. He must have known then he was infected. But, he didn't say anything. Not that I would have listened. He just went away, knowing he was going to die and no one cared!"

The sobbing resumed. Ducky gently stroked her hair and just held her. "It is not your fault, Abby," he soothed. "I think we all feel somewhat to blame. Myself included. After all, he did come to me concerned that he may have been exposed. I, for one, did not take him seriously either. I told Mr. Palmer to explain why Timothy could not have rabies. Perhaps if I had taken his fears more seriously, I could have prevented this. He could have gotten the vaccine, and that would have been the end of it."

Abby pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. "That's the problem isn't it, Ducky? None of us ever take him seriously enough. Sure, there was no reason to think Jethro hadn't had his shots, and we all figured McGee was just being his usual paranoid self. But, I should have caught that discrepancy in the ID numbers, Ducky. That was _my_ job. I was just too focused on proving Jethro innocent. I was sloppy."

Ducky didn't know what to say. Many errors had been made. That much was obvious. They all had become too complacent. At the very least, they should have tested Jethro for rabies after he'd died just to make sure. It had all happened so fast and since the case had been closed, it certainly wasn't a priority. He looked at Abby. He cared deeply for this complicated young woman, but he had to admit, he had been quite disturbed by her ongoing antagonism towards Timothy. He once asked Gibbs why he let it continue, and all Gibbs had said was he preferred to let his team members work out their own problems. But, Timothy had been injured, painfully so and everyone seemed to act as if it were some joke. Why had he gotten so little sympathy from his teammates? Now he wished he'd said something to Abby before this.

"But we should have listened." Abby was speaking again. "_I_ should have listened. And now, it's too late." She turned away from him and slumped onto nearby stool. "If only I could go back in time. I'd make it right." She buried her face in her hands.

Ducky sighed. He suspected that Abby would pay a heavy price for her mistakes. A line of Shakespeare suddenly came into his head. _O! Call back yesterday, bid time return. _If only that were possible.

xxxxxx

Admiral Michael McGee stood outside the observation window watching his son. He'd lost count of how many hours he'd spent in front of this window over the past few days. Exhaustion enveloped him like a heavy, wool blanket. Sleep came in short fitful bursts. But he was a military man. He'd survived on less. However, not when his son's life was at stake. Right now, Eileen, Penny, and Sarah were at the hotel, hopefully sleeping. It was the middle of the night, after all. He'd finally insisted they go get some rest. Eileen could barely stand, she was so tired. He didn't want any of them to become sick. It would make it that much harder when the inevitable occurred.

Admiral McGee took a long quivering breath. He hadn't seen Tim in close to seven years, and he looked so different. Kid must have lost like fifty pounds. But it was seeing him so pale, hooked up to a respirator and God knows what other machines that caused his heart to pound. How could this have happened? Maybe if Tim had listened to him back when it mattered, he wouldn't be lying here now, as close to death as any human can come and still be alive.

He rubbed his eyes. They felt full of grit. The elder McGee had been furious when his son announced he had no intention of applying to the Naval Academy but wanted to go into law enforcement, specifically computer forensics.

"But the McGees are _Navy men_!" the Admiral had raged, "My father was an admiral, his father was an admiral. Damn it, even your mother's father commanded a nuclear submarine! Your cousins are all going to the Academy. What am I supposed to tell them?"

Tim had stood his ground. That alone should have been a heads up on how important this was to him. "Dad, I want to join the NCIS. I think I could do some real good there."

Admiral McGee just gaped at his son. "_NCIS! _You're joking right? You wanna be some kind of pseudo-cop? Why not join the FBI or the CIA? What about NASA? At least people have heard of those agencies."

But Tim wouldn't listen. He went to Johns Hopkins and MIT, graduating with honors. But the admiral hadn't been there to see it happen. He'd been in Annapolis, attending his nephews' graduations from the Naval Academy. Somehow that had seemed more important than his own son's graduation from what he considered lesser universities. At least that's what he'd told himself at the time.

After Tim had joined NCIS and had been relegated to doing computer work at Norfolk, the admiral had hoped Tim would get bored and start looking for something better. As far as the admiral was concerned, that would have been almost anything. With his skills and brains, Tim could have worked for any IT company in the country and made some real money. But then Special Agent Gibbs had stepped into the picture. Tim was assigned to Gibbs' team and suddenly everything had changed. Tim loved his job and there was no way he'd give it up. That's when they'd quit speaking.

As the years had passed, it got harder and harder to bridge that chasm. Eileen and Penny had begged him to call Tim, take the first step, but no. He had too much pride. But that didn't mean he didn't miss his son. He missed Tim desperately. He knew he'd been tough on the boy when he was growing up, but he'd just wanted to toughen him up. Nothing came easy in this world, and he wanted Tim to understand that. But in the end, all he'd done was drive Tim away. Penny was the only one who seemed to understand him. They were alike, those two, and Admiral McGee just never really understood.

Yet, there had been some good times as well. He smiled when he remembered how excited Tim had been the time he'd seen the guy with the rocket pack. That's all Tim could talk about for weeks. He claimed he was going to build his own and fly all over the world. If only they'd shared more moments like that.

Admiral McGee clenched his jaw against the sudden stab of pain. He turned as a nurse approached. "Is there anything I can get you, sir?" she asked kindly.

"I'd like to go in and spend some time with my son." She looked uncertain for a moment, then nodded.

A short while later, clad in scrubs, Admiral McGee entered the room where his son lie motionless. His face was pale, almost translucent and, his eyes sunken. The relentless sounds of the machines filled the silence. Tim looked so helpless and the admiral saw again the small boy who had so adored his father. So many years ago. Admiral McGee's throat tightened.

Gently, he rested his hand on Tim's head. "I'm here, son" he whispered, he voice catching. "Don't give up, you hear me?"

He suddenly felt a strong rush of love for his son. It reminded him of the night his firstborn had arrived into the world. He never thought he could ever love anything as strongly as he did that squirming little red-faced bundle. What had happened? How had they pulled so far apart? Seeing Tim this close to death reminded Admiral McGee of how much he now stood to lose.

He softly kissed his son's brow. "I love you Tim."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

It was the sixth day and despite the odds, McGee was still alive. No one thought he would make it that far. When Gibbs stopped at the hospital that morning on his way to work, he was met in the hallway by a beaming Dr. DeKay.

"It's happening, Agent Gibbs! His immune system is finally responding!"

Gibbs stared at him for a moment digesting this information. "And that means?"

"It means he really has a chance now!" The doctor ran his hand through his wiry hair. "Agent McGee is fighting the virus. I mean, he's hardly out of the woods, but this is a major breakthrough! We just have to hope it's not too little too late. But this is the first time we've actually had an adult respond to the treatment, and one bitten by a dog at that."

Gibbs closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "And if he lives? Then what? Will he be a vegetable? Paralyzed? Brain damaged? What?"

DeKay's smile disappeared. "I don't know. You must understand, this is still a very experimental treatment and with the previous survivors all being children, it's difficult to extrapolate their results onto Agent McGee's predicted recovery. At the very least, he will likely need physical therapy to regain motor skills and possibly verbal skills. I just don't know. But, let's take it one step at a time. He has to beat the infection first." He held up a folder. "At least now, we can have some real hope." Then, with a nod, he was gone.

Gibbs hurried to the observation window. To him, Tim looked no better. In many ways he looked worse. The virus had taken its toll and McGee was a shadow of his former self. Yet, the doctor said he was starting to fight back. He'd always known there was more to Timothy McGee than met the eye. _Attaboy, McGee_

Gibbs smiled faintly. Lack of self-confidence barely described the terrified, bumbling McGee Gibbs first encountered. He'd never seen a greener rookie. But what had impressed Gibbs, beyond McGee's obvious computer skills, was that Tim McGee didn't give up. Despite all his fears and insecurities, Tim had worked harder and harder to be a good agent. As a gunnery sergeant in the Marines, Gibbs had seen his fair share of terrified young recruits and over the years, he had developed a knack for picking out those men who would prove to have something special. He'd seen that in McGee and wanted him on his team. McGee hadn't proved him wrong.

He sighed deeply. Now this. Rabies. He remembered McGee's fear about rabies and like everyone else, had dismissed them. Although, to his credit, he had asked McGee if he was all right and tried to give him some down time before sending him back into the field. But, he should have said something to the others. Especially Abby. He frowned. Why had he allowed her to treat McGee so badly for so long? It certainly hadn't helped the dynamics of the team. But, he preferred to let his team work out their own issues without his interference. McGee was learning to stand up for himself more and more, but this had gone on way too long. No matter how badly Abby treated him, McGee couldn't seem to stay away from her. Well, given his own track record with unsuitable women, Gibbs could understand the attraction.

But that didn't absolve him of his responsibility. He couldn't believe that Abby would shut Tim out for so long. Knowing how much Tim cared for Abby, and Abby's usual compassionate disposition, he was sure the two of them would finally come to some kind of understanding. But no. That hadn't happened, and still, he hadn't stepped in.

But that wasn't the only thing was it? He knew Dinozzo was giving Tim a hard time. The whole Cujo thing played right into McGee's worst fears. But the attack dog video, that was even worse. Yet, he'd just ignored it. Gibbs shook his head in disgust. He was like those people who saw kids getting bullied and let it pass. A few harmless pranks are one thing, but sometimes people didn't know when to stop. Things escalate and get out of hand. Although Tim never said anything outright, Gibbs was pretty certain he'd had a tough time in school as a kid. As an adult, he shouldn't have to put up with this crap. Gibbs clenched his jaw. He really should have said something to Tony about the dog video. There was nothing funny about getting mauled by a vicious dog.

Gibbs knew he'd made a lot of mistakes over the years. But in this case, the damage was caused more by his indifference. He'd let Tony and Abby make things difficult for Tim. Ziva hadn't done anything to Tim, but she hadn't tried to put a stop to any of it either. Even Ducky had ignored Tim's worries. No one's hands were completely clean.

He sighed and moved away from the window. If McGee survived this and was able to return to NCIS, Gibbs vowed things would be drastically different.

xxxxxxxxxx

Another day went by, then two, then three. McGee still hung in there as his immune response continued to escalate. He had been in the coma for ten days now, and Dr. DeKay was anxious to start bringing him out of it. He feared that the longer McGee was in the coma, the more potential damage could result. He was especially worried about pneumonia. At the same time, he wanted to be sure McGee's immune system was in full swing fighting the virus before he brought him out of the coma. Too soon, and the virus would still be able to take over the brain's signals and cause irreparable harm. That very fact that Agent McGee was alive was highly promising, but it was better to wait until he was sure. In the meantime, the doctor's anxiety grew.

On the twelfth day, Dr. DeKay decided the time had come. Tim was beginning to develop signs of pneumonia. The combination of the barbiturates used to keep him under, as well as the respirator and immobility made him more susceptible to lung infections. The virus seemed to be under control now, its numbers dropping rapidly. Dr. DeKay was feeling guardedly optimistic.

"You're certain it's safe to bring him out of it?" asked Admiral McGee that morning. "I mean, are you sure that if you do, the virus won't hijack his brain and kill him?"

"I'm as sure as I can be, Admiral," replied Dr. DeKay. "But, he's developing signs of pneumonia. I don't want to wait any longer if I can help it. It will take a couple of days. I want to do it slowly. If, during the process, we see signs that the rabies virus is taking over, we can put him back under."

The admiral glanced at his mother who was nodding slowly. "It makes sense." Penny looked back at her son. "I think he's right, Michael."

The admiral ran his hand through his short brown hair. He turned to his wife. "What do you think, Eileen?"

Eileen McGee had said little throughout this entire ordeal, but she had listened and learned. She'd read everything she could find on rabies and the Milwaukee protocol. She was scared of what might happen when they started to bring Tim out of the coma. He might die, or he might have been so damaged by the ordeal she would hardly know him, but she knew the time had come. No matter what the outcome, she felt the time was right. She tightly squeezed her husband's hand and nodded. "If the doctor thinks the time is right, then let's do it."

The admiral sighed deeply and turned back to the doctor. "All right. Do it."

xxxxxx

Jenny Shepard stepped into the elevator and glanced at Gibbs who was on his way up. "I just got a call from Dr. DeKay," she said quietly. "He said they're going to start bringing Tim out of the coma today."

Gibbs glanced at her, then nodded. "That's good. The doc said his immune system was fighting the infection. McGee's tougher than people give him credit for."

Jenny smiled, then it slipped. "Jethro, if he does survive and is able to return to active duty, I'm thinking it would be better if I transfer him to another team. Preferably in another office."

Gibbs slammed his hand on the stop button and turned to face her, his eyes flashing. "Say again?"

Jenny sighed. "Let's be honest, Jethro. I saw how he was being treated by your team. Tony harassed him, Ziva said nothing, and I don't even want to begin to go into what I think about Abby. And you. You just ignored it all. What kind of team is that? I personally can't imagine why McGee would even want to come back to your team."

Gibbs felt as if someone had punched him. He clenched his jaw. She was right. Why should McGee want to return after the way they all treated him?

"Do you know that Admiral McGee has requested a formal investigation into how the Pax River case was conducted?" continued Jenny. "Abby should have caught that discrepancy in the ID numbers. That error has had serious repercussions. We may very well lose an excellent agent because of this. Her behavior in conjunction with both this case and Agent McGee has been seriously unprofessional."

Gibbs had no response. He had to agree. He typically rose to Abby's defense whenever necessary, but this time, Jenny was right. Abby had been very unprofessional. But she had also been cruel and thoughtless. That bothered Gibbs. A lot. He really thought he knew her, but this case had brought out a very unattractive side to Abby.

He sighed deeply. "Maybe we should wait and see what Tim wants to do before we make any decisions about his future."

"And if he dies, it will all be moot." Jenny hit the run button. "But if this investigation goes through, the shit may very well hit the fan."

The door opened and Jenny exited. She didn't look back. Gibbs pushed the button and the doors closed. He stared at the numbered lights above his head. _Abby, I'm afraid I can't help you this time._

xxxxx

A/N: Sorry about the glitch with Chapter 6. Not sure what happened there. Thanks again for all the reviews! I really appreciate the feedback and some of the posts have been very thoughtful. Makes things interesting!


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

"Tim? Tim, can you hear me? C'mon Tim, open your eyes. You can do it…"

The voice seemed to come from out a dense fog. Tim couldn't see anything and the words were muffled. They wanted him to wake up. Why? Why should he wake up? He was happy where he was.

"Tim, we need you to open your eyes. That's it…c'mon…"

_Shut… up_, he thought. It was difficult to form a complete thought. The words seem to float away before he could string them together. He knew what he wanted to say, but it was so hard. So, he wouldn't. He shut down his thoughts and drifted away, back into the comforting darkness.

xxxxx

Dr. DeKay frowned in frustration. He was sure Tim had started to respond. It was if his consciousness was just below the surface struggling to break through, but then he lost him. He really thought Tim would have awakened sooner than this. They had been bringing him out of the coma for days now. He was no longer getting any of the barbiturates and most of it should have worked its way out of his system. Tim should be awake. This worried him. People thought bringing someone out of chemically induced coma was a simple thing. It was anything but. Some patients woke quickly and easily. Others never did. He feared this last. He had no idea what the rabies virus might have done to McGee's brain. Even if Tim awoke soon, it would take time to assess any damage he might have sustained. It was all down to time.

xxxxxx

"Tim, honey? It's me, Mom. Can you hear me? I need you to wake up, sweetheart."

This was a new voice. It seemed familiar to McGee but he couldn't quite figure out who it was. Again, the words were muffled and indistinct. Yet, unlike the other voice, he was instinctively drawn to this one. It seemed comforting somehow. His mind associated it with warmth and safety. He moved towards it.

"Please, Tim, wake up. We're all here waiting for you. Please…"

The voice continued to plead with him. He wanted to respond, yearned to, but the fog just wouldn't lift. He couldn't find his way. He wanted to call out, let the voice know he was here, but nothing happened. He was afraid it would leave before he could find it.

"Just open your eyes, Tim. C'mon sweetheart, you can do it. Please…do it for me…"

_Open your eyes_. That's what the voice said. Open your eyes. He could do that. Maybe. Tim concentrated hard, harder than he'd ever concentrated before in his life. In the background, he could still hear the voice calling him. Then slowly, ever so slowly, a small band of light appeared at the bottom of his vision. He struggled and gradually the band became wider and wider. Instead of a dark fog, he now saw a light one. There were some blurred images hovering above him. He slowly blinked.

"That's it Tim! That's it! Come on, open your eyes! You're doing great."

Tim tried to focus on the blur above him. It just wouldn't come clear. The voice was more distinct now and the name of the speaker just barely out of reach. But, he recognized it. He knew he did. He blinked a few more times and frowned. The image cleared some. He suddenly knew who it was.

"Mom?" His voice was faint, barely a whisper. They had removed the respirator tube the day before, but his throat would remain sore for some time to come.

He heard a sob. "Oh yes, Tim! It's me! It's Mom!" Tim could just make out his mother's features. She looked older and her cheeks were wet. She had his hand firmly clenched in her own. "Can you understand me?"

He moved his head slightly. It seemed to take so much effort. There were some other shapes behind his mother. He couldn't seem to focus on them. Didn't really want to try. He closed his eyes again and slept.

The next time he awoke, it was quiet in his room. No one was calling to him. The only thing he heard was the soft beep of a machine nearby. He opened his eyes. It was much easier this time. After a few moments, things began to take shape. The room was softly illuminated by some lights near the head of his bed.

Tim frowned trying to remember why he was here. He figured out he was in a hospital at least. Had he been in an accident? He ran his gaze down his body. He didn't see any casts or bandages. Okay, not an accident. An illness perhaps? He considered this. That seemed more plausible. He felt so weak. He tried to lift his arm. It was simply too heavy for him to budge. He didn't like that. He tried to move his legs. Same thing. He could feel them, but he could barely move them. The monitor's beep began to speed up.

"Tim?" Tim froze. He hadn't seen anyone in the room. He tried to turn his head. It took almost all his strength. He gasped and gave up. A second later, a form materialized by his bed. "Tim? Can you hear me?"

Tim stared at the man. He looked familiar but again, Tim was having trouble placing him.

"Tim, it's me. Gibbs."

Tim blinked. _Gibbs? _Hmm. The name rang a bell. Sort of.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs? Your boss? NCIS?"

Tim's frowned deepened. It was like the man was speaking in code. _NCIS? _

The man, Gibbs, sighed, then smiled. "It's okay, Tim. It'll come."

_It will come_. Tim closed his eyes. Right now, he was content to just let things go. It was too hard to think. It made his head hurt. It was easier to reenter the fog.

xxxxx

Gibbs shook his head as Tim closed his eyes again shutting out the world. When Tim had recognized his mother, everyone had been ecstatic. That had been two days ago. Tonight, McGee looked completely blank when Gibbs mentioned his own name and NCIS. Dr. DeKay was worried about how long it was taking McGee to return to full consciousness and feared there might be some brain damage. He didn't want Tim to be alone so Tim's family and NCIS colleagues all volunteered to take shifts. At first Tim's father protested.

"I'm not sure I want any of you clowns around my son," growled the admiral glaring at Gibbs with steely eyes. The rest of the team stood nearby, looking uncomfortable and more than a little guilty. "It's because of you people my son is in the predicament."

Gibbs wouldn't back down. "Sir, mistakes _were_ made, but Tim is very important to us. I know it may not seem that way to you, but he is a crucial member of our team. We really want to help. We can take the night shifts."

For awhile Gibbs didn't think Admiral McGee would yield. The black looks made it all too clear how the he felt about NCIS. He blamed Gibbs and his team for Tim's condition, and rightly so. But, that didn't mean the team didn't care despite how it might have appeared. If anything, this situation made it all too clear how much Tim really did mean to each of them.

Penny glanced at her son, who just continued to glower at Gibbs. His hostility was palpable. Like her son, Penny did blame Gibbs and the others. How could she not? From what she'd learned, they screwed up and that was unforgiveable. But, she also understood how much NCIS meant to Tim. She'd had a number of long conversations with her grandson about his job. He came alive when he described some especially intriguing case, the excitement of searching for clues, the thrill of the fieldwork; he loved it all. Despite what Michael thought about NCIS, it had been good for Tim.

She knew something about each of his teammates and how they were important to Tim. He might complain about Tony's pranks or Abby's thoughtlessness, but he loved them like you love any family, warts and all. Even Gibbs. Gibbs was a lot like Michael, but unlike her son, Gibbs expected Tim succeed. Nothing Tim did ever was quite good enough for his father. NCIS finally gave him a place where his efforts meant something. He was valued for himself, not for his father or his grandfather.

It didn't take a psychologist to see the team was upset. Abby, especially, looked so dejected that Penny felt her resistance weaken. Tim still carried a bit of torch for the irrepressible forensics scientist, although Penny had gathered things were a bit rocky in that department. Tim wouldn't really talk about it, but Penny could read him better than anyone. She felt his pain whenever he mentioned Ms. Sciuto.

Penny believed Tim would be all right. She had to. And if he recovered and decided to continue at NCIS, she wasn't going to stand between him and his team.

"All right, Agent Gibbs," she said feeling her son stiffen. "You and your team can take the night shift. Starting at 10 pm until say, 8. Does that work for you?"

"Mother," growled Admiral McGee turning his furious gaze on her.

"Michael," interrupted Penny, raising her hand to stop him. "I know how you feel about NCIS, but these are Tim's friends. He works with them every day and under some very dangerous circumstances. There is a bond that forms in situations like that. You know that. They want to help, to make amends. You need to let them."

"Like hell I do!" snarled the admiral, his eyes blazing. He would have continued his tirade, but Sarah gently touched his arm.

"Dad," she said softly. It was the first thing she had said all day. "Let them help. I know they screwed up, but I've seen how much NCIS means to Tim. Maybe they can help."

Suddenly, Admiral McGee seemed to deflate. He looked at the group gathered before him. He wanted to throw them all out on their butts, and if he had anything to say about it, Tim would never return to NCIS. He'd find him some position more suited to his abilities. What good was it to be an admiral if you couldn't pull some strings? However, they had to get Tim past this first. One thing was certain. He would make sure the internal investigation was carried out, and that this fiasco wasn't swept under the rug.

He sighed. "All right. You can take the night shift. But if Tim wakes up, I expect you to call me immediately. Do you understand, _Special Agent_ Gibbs?"

"Yes, sir."

That had been two nights ago. Tony kept watch last night but nothing happened. After Tim had woken up enough to recognize his mother, everyone hoped he would soon come fully awake. Until this brief moment of consciousness and confusion, there had been no further response. Gibbs considered calling the admiral but decided against it. If Tim woke up again, he'd call, otherwise what was the point?

With a weary sigh, Gibbs settled himself back in his seat. He desperately wished he could do something to bring Tim out of it.

xxxxxx

The third time Tim resurfaced, it was to the sound of singing. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what it was. It was something about cannibals swinging on a vine. Tim struggled to make out the words.

_Once upon a time there were ten little cannibals swinging on a vine, one tried to pat a big wild cat and then there were nine…_

His lips gently curled. _I know that song! _The singer continued in a soft voice.

_One of the nine drank turpentine, then there were eight…_

Tim wanted to sing too. He used to sing it all the time when he was little. He struggled to make the words, but they wouldn't come.

_Then one more fell dead on the floor and seven was their fate…_

Tim's frustration grew. He forced his eyes open. A dark haired girl was sitting in the chair near his bed. She paused from time to time to wipe her eyes, but she continued with her song.

_One went in politics, then there were only…_

"Six."

The girl froze, then slowly turned her gaze to meet his. "Tim?" She leaned closer, but her actions were tentative, as if she feared she might scare him off. "Tim? It's me, Sarah. Do you know me?" Her voice quavered.

Tim stared hard at her. If he could remember the song, why couldn't he remember her? "The song…" he rasped.

"The Cannibal Song? You taught it to me, Tim. Don't you remember? We thought it was so funny when we were kids. It was one of your favorites."

"Five…took…a…dive…" It took all his strength to get those words out.

Sarah laughed, tears streaming down her face. "Yes!" She quickly resumed the song.

_One went to Singapore, then there were only_

"Four." Tim smiled. A real smile this time. He knew who she was. "Sarah."

"Oh Tim!" Sarah sobbed and threw herself across her brother's chest. "You remember! You're alive and you remember!"

Tim wanted to wrap his arms around his sister, but his arms still felt like leaden weights. They were just too hard to move. But, she was right. He did remember her.

Sarah sat back, wiping the tears on her sleeve. "Do you remember what happened? Why you're here?"

Tim frowned. This wasn't so easy. He looked at her, his confusion evident.

"Rabies, Tim. You have rabies. Don't you remember?"

He tried. He really did, but it made his head begin to throb. _Rabies? _That seemed like an odd thing to get. Rabies was a fatal disease, wasn't it? His eyes suddenly widened. "Dying?"

"Oh no, Tim!" cried Sarah, fresh tears streaming down her face. "You're going to live!"

xxxxxx

A/N: You guys have all been really great in encouraging me with this story. It really helps. The next update may take a couple of days as I'll be gone. I promise I won't make you wait too long. Thanks.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Director Shepard studied the report before her. When an admiral demands an investigation, things move quickly. Just a day after Admiral McGee's request, the Internal Review Board promptly began an inquiry into how Gibbs' team and Abby's forensics lab had conducted the Pax River drug case.

It had been such an odd case. After Petty Officer Hanson's body was found, everyone wanted to close the case, but as usual Gibbs wasn't so easily convinced. His gut said there were more smugglers to deal with and of course, he'd been right. PO Perelli had been the real culprit. She was arrested, and the case closed. That should have been the end of it.

And then McGee came down with rabies.

That was where the real crux of the problem lay. The reason Agent McGee contracted rabies was because no one double checked the dog's identification number. Tim could have received the vaccine in time if they'd known Butch was not the dog they thought he was. But that didn't happen, and now McGee was in the hospital facing an uncertain future.

Jenny sighed as she read through the Board's review. The Board seemed to agree that most of Abby Sciuto's forensic work had been exemplary, but her behavior in regards to this case had not. Because she had allowed her emotions to cloud her judgment, one of her colleagues had contracted a deadly illness, the outcome of which was still unknown. Given the fact her actions did not affect the outcome of the case itself and that her past history had been spotless, the Board recommended she not be fired, but suspended for six weeks without pay.

Jenny wasn't sure how she felt about that. On one hand she was relieved. Abby truly was a gifted forensics scientist. She was an expert in so many areas, finding someone to replace her would be nearly impossible. On the other hand, was losing six weeks of pay enough compensation for possibly costing a man his life? Granted, it had been a simple mistake and an easy one to overlook, but if Abby had not allowed her emotions to carry the day, she probably would have discovered that important piece of information. In the scope of the case, it was irrelevant, but for McGee, it was a matter of life and death.

Gibbs had also been named in the report. After all, he was the lead agent in the case. However the forensics division was considered separate from the investigative team. Abby didn't strictly work for Gibbs, so the bulk of the blame fell on her.

Jenny set the report down. McGee was making progress. The simple fact that he was still alive was considered a miracle. Dr. DeKay couldn't wait to write up an article and get it published somewhere. But her concern now was what to do about Gibbs' team? It was too soon to know if or when McGee might be fit to return to active duty, but assuming he did return, what should she do about him?

As she'd told Gibbs, her first inclination was to send him elsewhere. Certainly not to punish him, but more to protect him. A team is supposed to work together and it was obvious to her, that had not been the case with Gibbs' group. Jenny knew that Admiral McGee didn't want his son to return to NCIS period, in any capacity at any office. So, it was all too possible that McGee wouldn't come back at all.

She hated the thought of that. Jenny knew that despite his problems with the team, McGee had flourished under Gibbs. Gibbs expected a lot out of his team, and Tim had risen to meet those expectations. In the process, he had gained considerable self-confidence. But at what price?

Gibbs was completely against the idea of moving McGee elsewhere. He believed it would be a huge mistake. Jenny rubbed the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on. Before she made any sort of decision, she'd have to talk to Tim about what he wanted. In the end, that should be the deciding factor. Suddenly, Cynthia's voice came across the intercom.

"Director? Ms. Sciuto is here to see you."

"Send her in, Cynthia."

The door opened and Abby stepped in, but this was a different Abby. This was not the usual bubbly, energetic Abby Jenny was used to seeing. This Abby was quiet and subdued. This was not going to be fun.

"Please sit down, Abby." Jenny opened the file again, then looked at the woman across from her. "I've received the results of the investigation."

Abby looked down at her hands, not meeting the director's gaze. She chewed her lip nervously.

Jenny sat forward. "Abby, before I discuss what's in the report, I think you and I need to have a talk about how you've behaved towards Agent McGee."

Abby's head dropped lower, but she said nothing.

"You knew the circumstances behind McGee's shooting of the dog, yet you refused to follow protocol and keep the dog safely crated. You blamed Agent McGee, even going so far as to accuse him of animal cruelty, despite his own obvious wounds, and then after the dog died, which we now know was inevitable, you continued to treat him rudely and with disrespect. Can you give me any earthly reason why you would do that? Why would you put an animal over the welfare of one of your own teammates?"

Abby seemed to shrink into herself. Slowly she raised her head, her eyes dark pools of grief. "I don't have a good excuse, Director. I…I don't know why I acted like that. Whenever I seen an injured animal, something just snaps, but that doesn't excuse the way I treated McGee." Her hands twisted together and she looked away. "I'm just a terrible person."

Jenny regarded her coldly. "Given the way you've been treating him, I'd have to agree."

Abby closed her eyes for a moment, her head sinking lower. "I'm so sorry this happened. Tim didn't deserve any of this. It's all my fault. Honestly, Director Shepard, I should just be fired."

With a sigh, Jenny looked down at the file. "Well, the Review Board doesn't seem to agree. You will not be fired. However, given the serious consequences of your negligence, you are being suspended for six weeks without pay."

For a moment, Abby looked stunned. It occurred to Jenny that deep down, Abby probably didn't believe anything would really happen to her. Maybe a slap on the wrist and an imperative that she be more careful, but nothing more serious. She'd always been golden. This shocked her to her core, but to her credit, Abby covered it quickly.

"That's better than I deserve," she said softly.

"I agree. We have no idea if McGee will ever be able to return to a normal life. You let your emotions get in the way of your job, and he suffered for it. Gibbs has let you get away with too much for too long. I understand that your skills as a forensic scientist are unparalleled, but how you treat your colleagues is also important." Jenny tilted her head as she studied Abby for a moment. "What really surprises me is I always thought you liked Tim. It's obvious he's always liked you. Yet, you treated him like he didn't matter."

"I…I did, I mean, I do like Tim," said Abby twisting her hands even harder. "He's like the most amazing guy I've ever met. He can do things with a computer I can't even begin to understand, and I'm good, really good. But…" She shifted uncomfortably. "But sometimes he's just too nice, you know what I mean? I mean, I'm used to guys a little edgier, a little more dangerous than McGee. Sometimes I just don't want nice. It's like having a puppy follow you around when you'd rather have a wolf."

Jenny just stared at her. "So, you think because you'd rather have some Hell's Angel for a date that makes it all right to toy with McGee's feelings? I've seen how you treat him, Abby. One minute you encourage him, the next you freeze him out. Why can't you just be straight with him?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or is it because you're not entirely sure you just want dangerous? Sometimes nice can be comforting. So, you string him along in case you change your mind."

Abby opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She chewed on her lip. "I…I don't know."

"Well, you'll have six weeks to figure it out." Jenny shook her head as she slapped the file shut.

"I promise this will never happen again," said Abby looking up. "I hope you can forgive me, Director. I know I really messed up and it's all my fault and everything, but I promise I'll do better."

Jenny stared at her, her gaze hard and unforgiving. "I suggest that you find some time to visit McGee when he's up to it and apologize to him. He's the one that needs to forgive you."

xxxxxx

After leaving the director's office, Abby fled to the sanctuary of her lab. _Six weeks?_ They were actually suspending her for six whole weeks? Director Shepard had been correct. Deep down, Abby never really believed she'd be punished. After all, missing something as trivial as the dog's ID number, something that really had no bearing on the case, normally wouldn't have resulted in such a severe punishment. It was because the dog infected McGee with rabies that all hell had broken loose.

Abby collapsed on her desk chair. She felt an odd combination of relief, humiliation, anger, and remorse. She knew she'd treated McGee badly and she felt awful about it. But any one of the team, including Tim, could have caught that discrepancy in the ID numbers. Yet, she was taking all the blame.

_And you deserve it. _Abby winced. She prided herself on her meticulous work. Never once had any of her forensics work failed to pass even the most intense scrutiny. And yet, this one minor mistake now resulted on one very black mark on her record. It wasn't fair.

_Yes. It is. _Abby looked unhappily around her beloved lab. How could she leave it for six weeks? She looked up as she heard someone approach. It was Tony.

"Abby? Gibbs sent me down to see if you had that DNA sample finished." He paused, then frowned. "You okay?"

"No, Tony, I'm not okay." Abby stood up and began to pace. "I've been suspended! For six weeks! I mean, I know I deserve it. I was really awful to poor McGee, but how am I going to survive six weeks away from my lab? You know they'll get somebody who'll move all my stuff and mess up my machines. It'll take me weeks to get it back in shape!"

Tony's frown deepened as he listened to Abby's rant. She didn't seem to understand the real significance of her suspension. Again, her focus wasn't on the damage done to McGee, but to what might happen to her lab when a substitute was brought in.

Abby suddenly froze, catching the disapproving look on Tony's face. "Oh my, god," she whispered, "I'm doing it again, aren't I? I'm being punished because I messed up and might have killed McGee, and all I can think about is my lab." She collapsed into her chair again and turned to look at Tony, tears in her eyes. "Why am I being so horrible, Tony? What is wrong with me? McGee might never recover, and all I seem to care about is whether my test tubes will be put back in the right place." She buried her face in her hands.

Tony didn't move for a moment. He didn't understand why Abby seemed so oblivious to Tim's plight. He was surprised to hear she'd actually been suspended. Nothing bad ever really happened to Abby. Gibbs often saw to that. This time, it seemed the boss couldn't ride in on white horse and rescue her. She would have to pay for her behavior. But why had she treated McGee like that to begin with? Sure, he was just as guilty in his own way, but he'd never shunned McGee. They had continued to work well together even after all of Tony's stupid pranks.

He stepped closer and place a hand on Abby's shaking shoulder. "Why, Abby?"

He felt her stiffen, then she looked up, tears glistening on her cheeks. "I think…I think he scares me, Tony."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "McGee? Scares _you_?"

Abby nodded, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Tony, I'm not used to really nice, normal guys liking me. I mean they like me, like you like me, but they aren't attracted to me. I know I come across being different, but that's who I am. Tim could see that. He never tried to change me, but he still wanted to be with me, y'know? But, McGee never takes anything lightly. Everything is so serious with him. He doesn't really date for fun. He's looking for the future Mrs. McGee, and some girl is gonna be really lucky one day, but…" she trailed off, looking helpless.

"But, you don't think you want that girl to be you."

Abby stood up and began pacing. "That's just the problem. _I don't know!_ One minute I think it would be great to be with such a great, reliable guy like McGee, but what if get bored? What if I begin to resent him because he is so solid and dependable?"

Tony leaned back against the lab bench and regarded Abby thoughtfully. "I can understand that. You're talking to the King of Commitment Issues, remember? But Abby, you can't keep up the comeherecomeherecomehere,goawaygoawaygoaway routine forever. Tim is really sensitive. You know that. You didn't just hurt him, you _devastated_ him. You didn't see the way he looked at you any time you walked by. I've seen death row inmates look happier. He never said anything, well not until he found out he had rabies, but he was really suffering when you wouldn't even talk to him."

Abby nodded sadly. "I need to make it up to him somehow." She looked up. "What should I do, Tony?"

"Well, treat him like he matters would be a start. Quit playing stupid games. If you don't want to ever be with him, tell him that. Don't string him along. But, you really need to apologize to him." Tony shook his head. "You know perfectly well Tim will forgive you no matter what, but _you_ need to change, Abby." He hesitated a minute. "Gibbs told me that the Director thinks if McGee is able to eventually return, she should transfer him someplace else. She's really mad at the whole team."

Abby's eyes went wide. "Transfer him? Where would he go? He belongs here, with us, Tony!"

"Well, Abby," said Tony, pushing himself away from the bench and turning to leave, "We're just gonna have to figure out a way to prove that."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN  
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Tim stared up at the ceiling. In the dim light, the water spot in the corner looked remarkably like a hyena. That one over there was shaped just like the boot of Italy. He sighed. Since he's woken up to Sarah's cannibal song, he had awakened a couple more times, each period of consciousness longer than the last. Last time, he'd made it almost ten minutes. It wasn't easy, and every time he drifted off, he feared he might not wake up again.

It must be nighttime, he mused. The hospital had a hushed sound to it and the only lights on in his room were the nightlights at the head of his bed. He had no real concept of time. Even when people told him something, like how long he'd been in the hospital, it was hard for his mind to hold onto it. It was like pouring water into a sieve.

He shifted his gaze to scan the room. It was empty. He frowned. This was the first time he'd awakened to an empty room. Normally, someone was here. That doctor, his mom, Sarah, Penny, Gibbs… He paused. _Gibbs._ Gibbs was his boss. He worked for NCIS. Tim frowned. NCIS. He did remember working there. He worked with computers. That doctor, what was his name again?, oh yeah, DeKay, said that he'd been bitten by a rabid dog during the course of an investigation. He couldn't remember any more than that. He clenched his jaw in frustration. Memories were vague and fleeting. One moment he'd remember something and the next, it was gone. Dr. DeKay claimed his memory should improve with time. His body was still fighting the rabies virus, although the viral numbers were dropping quickly.

Tim sighed deeply. He shifted his hand slightly and grimaced. That was another thing. He felt like all his muscles had completely atrophied. Any movement took him an incredible amount of effort and left him sweaty and shaking. The doctor told him that soon they would start him on physical therapy. He seemed to believe that Tim would eventually regain his strength. In the meantime, Tim was dependent on everyone else for everything. He closed his eyes. He wanted to yell and scream, but he knew he didn't have it in him. Talking was almost more than he could handle. At least everyone else seemed excited about the little he could do. To Tim, it was disturbing how helpless he'd become.

A sudden movement caught his attention. His room door swung open. A tall man, a cup in his hand silently entered the room. Tim's eyes widened. _Dad? _Tim hadn't seen his dad in years. Not since his father had so adamantly disapproved of Tim joining NCIS. Tim felt his stomach clench.

Admiral McGee sighed, settled into the chair next to the bed, and picked up a book from the table. He glanced over at the bed and when his eyes met Tim's, he froze. For a long moment neither man said a word. Slowly the admiral set down his book and cup, his eyes never leaving his son's face. "Tim? Tim, are you awake?"

Tim gave a weak smile. "Yeah, Dad." He winced at the sound of his voice. He sounded so weak.

For a moment, his dad said nothing. He looked as if he was having trouble believing Tim was talking to him. He swallowed. "I kept hoping that…that you'd wake up when I was here." Suddenly he reached over and grasped his son's hand. Tim blinked. Demonstrations of affection were completely alien when it came to his father.

Admiral McGee, his piercing gaze still fixed on his son, took a deep breath. "Tim, I have so many things I want to say to you. Things I should have said years ago." Tim frowned in confusion. His father looked away for a moment, then continued. "Tim, I want you to know that despite what you might think, I am so proud of you and the man you've become. I know I was disappointed when you decided not to go the Academy, but that was my dream, not yours. I've done a lot of things wrong when it came to raising you. I kept trying to raise you like my father raised me, but you're not me. I wanted to make you tough, help you make your way in the world. But I think in the end, I just drove you away. My mother knows you better than I ever will. I should have listened to her."

Tim just stared at his father. His mouth was dry. He couldn't say a word. His father was _apologizing_? Was that was this was about? Had he really come that close to dying?

"Tim, can you forgive me? When I thought we were going to lose you, I realized what a bull-headed ass I'd been." Admiral McGee leaned closer, his grip on Tim's hand tightened. "Son, I want you to know that I love you. I know I never say it, but I do love you, in my own way. I'm not a demonstrative man. I wasn't raised that way." He gave a soft chuckle. "If you think I was tough, your grandfather was ten times worse." He sighed again. "Tim, I'm not foolish enough to think that you and I will ever see eye to eye on things, and I know I'll do things you won't agree with, but I'll always have your best interest at heart. You mean the world to me."

Tim closed his eyes for a moment, a wave of weariness crashing over him. He knew he couldn't stay awake much longer. He could feel himself drifting but he struggled to open his eyes once more. He focused on his father's worried green eyes, so much like his own. He didn't want to lose this moment. "I love you too, Dad. I'm glad you're here."

His father smiled in relief. "You rest, Tim. I'll be here if you need me."

Tim nodded and drifted off, a sense of peace enveloping him, and for the first time, he didn't worry.

Admiral McGee sat silently by his son's side, still holding his hand. He wasn't a demonstrative man. That was an understatement. He had been gone a good deal of the time when his children were growing up, and when he was home, he expected things to be run like he ran his ship. He remembered once when he overheard Sarah tell a friend that her father was like Captain von Trapp in _The Sound of Music_ before Julie Andrews showed up. He'd actually been pleased. Now, looking back, he cringed at the thought.

He'd wanted to mold his son into a military man despite what Penny said. His mother had tried to warn him that Tim was not like him or his grandfather. Sure, Tim was good at following orders. In fact, as a boy, Tim had been terrified of doing anything wrong or straying beyond the rules. Unlike his sister. Admiral McGee smiled. His daughter would probably have made a damn good officer.

The admiral studied Tim's pale, gaunt face a moment longer. Well, he'd accepted the fact he hadn't been the best father, but damn it, he was going to protect his son. NCIS was obviously full of incompetents, and he wasn't going to let them waste his son's talents any longer. He could get Tim a much better job in the Pentagon or working for one of those tech companies. He leaned back in his chair. He had already barred those NCIS people from the hospital, well, except for Director Shepard. He felt obligated to allow her to see Tim since she was still technically his boss.

It was those others he wanted gone. Especially that Agent Gibbs. Admiral McGee was too familiar with guys like him. They thought they were invincible and entitled to special consideration. Well, the hell with that. Gibbs was the agent in charge and should have made sure Tim got the care he needed after that dog bit him. Sure, that weird forensics girl was ultimately responsible since she didn't do her job right, but the admiral believed Gibbs was just as much to blame. He didn't know much about the others – that DiNozzo guy or Officer David. Sarah said that DiNozzo used to give Tim a hard time, pulling pranks and crap like that. Just like those brats in school. Admiral McGee shook his head in disgust. Tim was well shed of all of them, and he was just the man to make sure that happened.

xxxxxxx

A few more days went by and Tim began to show some improvement. His short term memory was still troublesome, but he was learning to adapt. Dr. DeKay had started him on some gentle physical therapy once the tests showed he was no longer infected. Tim was frustrated by the slowness of his recovery. The littlest things exhausted him and his muscles ached painfully, but there was something else bothering him. And it was bothering him a lot. No one from his team had been to visit. Penny told him it had been over a week since Gibbs had been there that one night. Since then, nothing.

His family was constantly present, especially his father, but other than a brief visit from Director Shepard, no one else had been by. He frowned as he recalled her visit. The director had assured him that his job would be waiting for him, should be in the position to return. His father had been in the room at the time, and Tim had the distinct feeling the director would have said more had he not been there. It was obvious Director Shepard had been uncomfortable in the admiral's presence.

But still, that didn't explain why no one else had been around. Did they really not care? Despite all that had happened, Tim didn't believe that. Not deep down.

"Something bothering you, Tim?"

Tim turned his head to see his father enter the room. It was strange. He'd spent more time with his father in the past week than in his entire life, as far as he could remember.

"I, well, I was just wondering why my team hadn't been by to see me."

The admiral grunted in disgust as he moved into the room. "You don't need them, son. It's their fault you're in this godforsaken hospital. If those jokers had done their jobs, you wouldn't be here."

Tim's frown deepened. True, the error in the dogs' ID numbers hadn't been caught until it was too late to save him from the infection, but when they'd come by before the doctor had put him under, they'd all seemed genuinely worried. Something just didn't seem right. He glanced at the table. There was no phone. Didn't hospital rooms usually come with phones? Well, right now, he couldn't have dialed a phone by himself, much less hold it, even if he wanted to. He suddenly eyed his father suspiciously.

"Dad, did you tell them they couldn't visit me?" He knew how much his father despised NCIS.

The admiral said nothing for a long moment. "Yes. Yes, I did." He held up a hand as Tim began to protest. "It was for your own good, Tim. I've heard all about how your so-called team treated you. They treated you like crap. So, why should I let them in? You need to make a clean break of it. They've never treated you with the respect you deserve. Sarah told me about the pranks they pulled on you, the crappy assignments, not to mention the way that weird forensics woman treated you."

Tim gritted his teeth trying not to lose control. He should never have confided in Sarah about some of the problems he was having at work, especially with Abby. But his father had no right to deny his friends from visiting. He wasn't a child. He took a deep breath. He and his father had achieved a certain level of understanding since Tim had awakened and although Tim didn't want to disrupt it, he couldn't let his father start running his life again.

"Dad," he began, speaking slowly. Speaking could be tricky for him if he went too quickly. "I know you don't approve of NCIS. I know you think my team treated me badly, and yes, sometimes they did. But, they have also had my back. I owe my life to my team. I…I would like to see them if they want to come."

His father's eyes narrowed. Tim knew that look all too well. Admirals do not like to be told what to do, but Tim wasn't going to back down. He knew his team. They would come to see him.

"When you're stronger." His father looked away. Conversation over.

Tim opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again. A wave of fatigue washed over him. He didn't have the strength to argue. Even this short disagreement left him exhausted and shaking. Any emotional upset played havoc with him. Maybe waiting a little longer would be a good idea. But he _would_ see them.

xxxxx

A/N: Sorry for the delay getting this chapter up. Things are really hectic right now, so the last few chapters may be slow in coming. But, rest assured, I have never left a story unfinished and don't plan to start with this one. Thanks again for all of your support and kind words. They are much appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

It was early when Gibbs strode into the office. The office was empty. He had been in LA most of the week consulting on a case out there. He was glad to be home. He trotted up the steps and pushed open the door to the director's outer office. Cynthia, Jenny's assistant, was not in yet. Gibbs grinned. He continued in further and silently opened the inner door. Jenny Shepard looked up. She smiled as Gibbs entered and handed her a cup of coffee.

"Welcome home, Jethro," she said taking a sip. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Mmm. I needed that." She looked at him again. "Everything go all right?"

Gibbs nodded as he settled himself into the chair across her desk. "Yeah. The drugs were coming out of San Diego. Same guys as last time."

Jenny nodded. "Good. Tony and Ziva wrapped up that MacGregor case. You were right. He was selling military equipment to gang members."

"Good." They sat in silence for a few moments. Then Gibbs spoke again. "You been to see Tim? I wanted to stop by after the plane landed but figured it was too early."

Jenny hesitated. Gibbs hadn't been here when Admiral McGee issued his edict against visits by NCIS. "I saw him three days ago. He's doing better. His short term memory is still faulty, and they just started him on PT to help him regain his strength and control of his muscles. But… " She paused, looking down.

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "But?"

"Admiral McGee won't allow anyone from NCIS except for myself visit McGee. And even my visits are limited."

Scowling, Gibbs sat up straight. "Waddaya mean we can't go visit Tim? He can't stop us!"

Jenny sighed, looking unhappy. "Unfortunately, Jethro, he can. He's Tim's next of kin, and until Tim says differently, he can ban us from McGee's room."

Gibbs slammed down his cup as he leapt to his feet. "The hell he can! McGee is my agent, and I'm not gonna let some tin pot admiral keep me from seeing him."

"Calm down, Jethro. Admiral McGee is Tim's father. He has a right to protect his son."

"_Protect_ his son? Jenny, the guy hasn't even spoken to Tim in years! He didn't give a damn about his son until this happened. We're more his family than that guy."

Jenny shook her head. "Be that as it may, he has the right. We don't. I plan on working on him. He never lets me see Tim alone, but I'm hoping maybe I can convince one or the other to let you and the rest of the team visit."

Gibbs face went very still. Jenny could see the muscles in his jaw working as he fought to control his anger. Unfortunately, Jethro and the admiral were cut from the same cloth. Neither was used to giving an inch. Jenny just didn't want Tim to get hurt in the fallout if these two men collided.

Jenny sighed. Jethro was a good agent, one of the best, but he could be a major pain in the butt. She decided to change the subject to one equally as unpleasant. "I assume you got my message about Abby's suspension?"

"Yeah." Gibbs shook his head. "I'm not happy about it, but I accept it."

"She could have been fired."

Gibbs grunted. "Jenny, you and I both know that no one can replace Abby. NCIS would be shooting itself in the foot if they fired her."

"Yes, I know. I just hope this serves as a wake-up call for her. She needs to learn that her behavior can have serious consequences."

"Well, with her gone from the lab for six weeks, I hope you realize it'll take longer to get things done, even with a substitute."

"I understand that. We'll just have to do the best we can."

Jethro stood up. "Jenny, I'm not gonna wait much longer to see McGee. Either you convince that damn admiral to let me in, or I will." He turned and stalked from the room.

Jenny rested her head on her hand. If she could get just a few minutes alone with McGee, she was certain he'd approve his team visiting. She just had to get past the guard dog. She wondered how long the admiral planned on staying.

xxxxxxx

Tony sat at his desk. He was fuming. He'd tried to sneak into the hospital again this morning in an attempt to see McGee and been unceremoniously booted out. The admiral even threatened to call the police if he didn't stay away. "It just isn't right," he muttered.

"You too, eh, Tony?" Tony looked up to see an equally disgruntled Ziva approaching him. "I hoped perhaps the admiral would not be there so early, and I could slip in." She dropped her backpack and shook her head in disgust. "Does that man never sleep? He cannot stay there forever, can he?"

"I dunno," grumbled Tony. He leaned back in his chair. "I mean, what's McGee's old man got against us anyway? We've hardly even met him."

"He likes nothing to do with NCIS." Ziva settled into her own chair. "Director Shepard told me he will try to convince McGee not to return. I believe he will try to alienate him from us."

Tony grunted. "You're probably right, but we can't let him do that."

"Do what, DiNozzo?"

Tony looked around to see Gibbs charging down the stairs, snapping shut his phone as he came. "Welcome back, Boss. You just get back?"

"Yeah. Now I repeat, what can't we do?"

"We can't let McGee's old man keep us out of the picture. He's told the hospital we can't visit McGee." Tony lifted his chin. "And I say, he can't do that."

Gibbs studied his two agents, then smiled. "I agree."

Ziva and Tony exchanged startled glances. "Really, Boss?" Tony hurried over to Gibbs' desk. "You got a plan? Someway to get past that bulldog? I swear, Admiral McGee never leaves that room."

Gibbs gave him a small knowing smile. "Don't worry. He has to leave sometime and when he does, I'll know."

xxxxxx

Abby stood outside the hospital staring forlornly at the massive, pale tower that loomed above her. Tim was in there, and she desperately wanted to see him. Only Gibbs and the director had seen McGee since he'd come out of the coma, but now, only the director was allowed in. The rest of the team was banned. Abby chewed on her lip as she absently twirled her lacy, black parasol. She'd been doing a lot of thinking since she'd been suspended and frankly, she was appalled at the way she'd treated McGee. He'd always treated her decently even if he did drive her nuts sometimes. She wanted to let him know how sorry she was, that she was going to change. It was strange. Tim could bring out the best and the worst in her.

She took a deep breath, then marched forward, towards the entrance. Admiral or no, she was going to see Tim. She rode the elevator to Tim's floor, ignoring the nervous glances people threw her way. She was used to it. Now, she was focused on her mission: to talk to Tim, even if just for a few minutes.

The elevator door dinged softly as it slid open. Abby gripped the parasol tightly and stepped out. The hallway was bustling with people – nurses, doctors, patients, orderlies pushing wheelchairs as well as a number of visitors. Abby turned and headed down the hallway towards McGee's room. Inwardly, she prayed the admiral wouldn't be there. When she reached the door, she hesitated. Then taking another breath, she pushed open the door and peered in. It was empty.

She pushed it all the way open then stepped in. "Tim?"

"May I help you?" Abby whirled to find herself staring into the cold, hard gaze of Admiral McGee.

"I…I…I want to speak with Tim. Sir. I mean, I really need to see him." Abby trailed off under the intense scrutiny. At that moment, she realized how fundamentally different Tim and his father were.

"Abby Sciuto isn't it?"

Abby nodded. "Yes, sir…"

"The forensics scientist."

"Yes, sir…"

"The one who nearly got my son killed because of her shoddy workmanship and has since been suspended. Am I correct?"

Abby blinked in shock. "Sir, it was an oversight. Yes, it was my fault. It shouldn't have happened. I…I want to apologize to Tim. Please."

The admiral grunted. "Don't you think you've done enough damage, Ms. Sciuto? I understand from Sarah that my son has had something of a crush on you. I also understand that in addition to nearly getting him killed, your recent behavior towards him has been reprehensible. Do you deny this?"

"No sir, but…"

"But nothing," snapped the admiral taking a step closer. "You NCIS people just don't get it. You treat him like crap and then when something happens, suddenly you're all sad and worried and claim he's part of your family. _Bullshit_. I want Tim out of NCIS. I want him away from you people. And I want you people to stay away from him. Do I make myself clear, _Ms. Sciuto?"_

Abby frowned. She didn't like confrontations, but she really didn't like this admiral. He was like McGee's evil twin. She squared her shoulders and looked directly into the admiral's narrowed eyes. "I want to hear that from Tim. Sir. I mean, I know he's your son and all, and I did treat him bad, but you don't have the right to tell me I can't see him. Only he can tell me that."

"No, Ms. Sciuto, I'm sorry to say, I do have the right. At the moment, I have Tim's medical power of attorney. We still don't know what effects the rabies virus has had on his brain, and until the doctors decide he is in full possession of his mental faculties, I have the right to say who may and may not visit. Right now, I feel visits by NCIS personnel are disruptive to his recovery, and I want you out of here. I think Tim would agree."

Abby chewed on her lip. She didn't want to admit defeat. She wanted to see McGee.

"If you do not leave, Ms. Sciuto, I will be forced to call security and have you escorted off the premises."

Abby lifted her chin and glared at the admiral. "You really don't know anything about your son, Admiral. He would give me the chance to apologize. He's a good man, and we _are_ his family. We're not perfect, and we don't always treat each other right, but we love him. I…I just lost sight of that for awhile."

The admiral's face hardened further. "Don't you dare presume to tell me about my son, Ms. Sciuto. And I repeat, if you do not leave immediately, I will call security, and I think you're in enough trouble as it is."

Abby pressed her lips together biting back another retort. This was getting her nowhere. She gave him a final glare, turned on her heel and strode from the room. She would be back.

Admiral McGee watched her leave. He'd had it with these damn NCIS pests. Maybe he should talk to the doctor about transferring Tim to a private hospital where they wouldn't make it past the front gate.

Abby stepped into the elevator and turned around to push the button to the lobby. As the doors began to close she gave a small gasp of surprise. Her eyes just caught Tim's as he was being wheeled past towards his room. His mouth opened in shock. Then he was gone.

Abby tried banging on the button, but it was too late, the elevator began its downward journey. She knew it would be too late, even if she got off at the next floor. Tim would be back in his room, and his blasted father would keep her out. She had to talk to Gibbs. Maybe he would have some idea of how to get in to see Tim.

xxxxxxx

Tim stared at the elevator door as it closed, taking Abby with it. He only caught a glimpse of her, but he had no doubt it had been Abby. Not many people looked like that. Why hadn't she stayed? He knew the answer the moment he thought it. Dad. He would have thrown her out. Tim gritted his teeth. This had to stop. He had to convince his dad to call off his vendetta against NCIS.

A few moments later, he was back in his room, the orderly lifting him back into bed. He'd just finished another grueling session of PT, and he was exhausted. His father, as usual, was sitting in the corner. Tim's mom would be there later. Penny had returned to work at the botanical gardens, and Sarah had returned to school at Waverly. They both came to visit every couple of days. Tim found himself wishing his father would return to Okinawa. This forced togetherness was grating on his nerves.

"Dad," began Tim when he was finally settled. "Was Abby Sciuto just here?" He knew his father wouldn't lie. He never lied. It was one of the traits Tim had acquired.

"Yes, she was here. Said she wanted to apologize for the crappy way she treated you."

Tim frowned. "Why didn't you let her stay? You knew I was on my way back. I would have liked to talk to her."

His father just stared at him. "You know why, Tim. You need to make a clean break from those people."

Tim closed his eyes in frustration. _Not this again_. "Dad, I told you, I am not leaving NCIS. Even if I can't go back in the field, I can still do all the computer work. Remember, I do have a degree in computer forensics. It's what I do."

His father looked at him long and hard. "Tim, you can do so much better than NCIS. I mean, the only group lower on the totem pole is the Coast Guard investigative services. Why do you want to work for a second rate organization when you can work someplace that would really utilize your skills." He paused and moved closer. "I spoke to a friend of mine at Hiram Technologies. I know you've heard of them. They do some of the leading tech research in the country. He said they'd be thrilled to have you."

Tim clenched his jaw, his anger rising. He could feel himself start to shake. _Damnit!_ His body overreacted to any emotional upset and with his dad around, that was hard to avoid. If only he would accept the fact that Tim wasn't leaving NCIS. He loved his job. Admittedly, he hadn't been happy with his team lately, but they still meant a lot to him. He was willing to hear Abby out. He was still angry with her and the way she treated him, but he would at least give her a chance. Even if he did ultimately decide to leave NCIS he would want to speak to his team. He couldn't just cut all ties without talking to them first.

But his father wasn't interested in that. He saw no point in dragging things out. He was a man of action, not of words. Tim took a deep breath, trying to settle himself. He gripped the bedcovers tightly. "I am not leaving NCIS," he said enunciating each word distinctly. He glared at his father.

Admiral McGee just shook his head and picked up his book. "We'll see."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Penny Langston stood in the doorway of Tim's room. He was sleeping. Her son sat stiffly in a chair, a book in his lap. He looked up and stood to join his mother in the hallway.

"How is he today?" asked Penny.

The admiral waved his hand. "He's fine. Had physical therapy earlier. Wore him out. Always told him he should exercise more."

Penny tried not to roll her eyes. Michael was already starting in on Tim. Penny had always hoped her son and grandson would reconcile, but she doubted that was ever going to happen. Not until Michael learned to let Tim be himself and follow his own path.

"I'll stay with him now," she said looking past her son to where Tim lay asleep. "Eileen said she would be here this evening." She looked at Michael. "You should go spend some time with her. Take her out for lunch. You two have hardly left the hospital since we got here."

The admiral worked his jaw. Penny could see the indecision in his eyes. "Michael, go! Tim will be fine. And I'd like to spend some time alone with him."

Her son took a deep breath, then nodded. "All right. I'll go. But," he turned to her with a scowl. "Those NCIS people keep trying to sneak in. If you see any of them, call security."

Penny nodded and made shooing motions with her hands. "Yes, yes, I know all that. Now go, get some rest. Take Eileen to lunch, just go! You need some fresh air."

Admiral took one last look at his son then with a nod of farewell slipped from the room.

Penny collapsed into the chair beside Tim's bed. "_Finally!_" she muttered. She now turned to look at Tim. He was looking better. Still too thin and wan, but at least he had a little color in his cheeks. She laid a gentle hand on his arm and shook it. "Tim? Tim, it's me, Penny. Wake up sweetheart, I need to talk to you."

Tim's eyes fluttered opened. He looked confused for a moment until he saw his grandmother by his bedside. He smiled sleepily. "Hi Penny."

She smiled back at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. Tired." Then he frowned. "Dad wants me to leave NCIS."

Penny made a face. "Yes, darling, I know. That's what I want to talk to you about. I managed to convince your dad to leave for awhile so we could have some time alone." She hesitated for a moment. "Tim, I need to know, how do you feel about your team? I know Sarah said they'd been giving you a hard time, especially that girl, Abby Scuito. The question is, do you want to see them?"

Tim blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I do. But Dad has practically ordered them shot on sight. Abby…I think Abby was by earlier. While I was in therapy. Dad threw her out." She had been there, right? He cursed his faulty memory. He slowly lifted his hand to rub his eyes. Even this small movement was a major accomplishment these days. "I know she was awful to me, but I'm willing to give her chance to explain. Tony gave me a hard time after that dog bit me, and Gibbs ignored it all, but still, I'd like to see them."

Penny nodded. "That's what I thought." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, punched in a number and waited. "Agent Gibbs," she said, "The coast is clear. and Tim would like to you. All of you." She was silent for a moment. "Yes, but it would be best if you got here as soon as possible. I don't know how long Michael will stay away. He's hardly let Tim out of his sight.…Good. I'll see you then." She snapped shut her phone and turned to her astonished grandson.

"Agent Gibbs called me this morning. He just returned from Los Angeles and found out Michael banned all NCIS personnel from your room. He called me asking for help." Penny frowned. "I had to think long and hard about this, Tim. I know how hard things were for you in school, both with the bullies in your class and your father at home. I don't like to hear that your coworkers aren't treating you much better. However, I know how important NCIS is to you, even if your father doesn't, and I wanted to find out if you wanted to see them. I thought the decision should be up to you. I told Agent Gibbs I would ask you, and if you wanted them to come, arrange it."

Tim was silent. No one understood him better than his grandmother. His mother might have agreed to let his team come visit, but she would never have crossed his father. Penny was the only one who would stand up to him like this. "Thank you."

Penny leaned back in the chair, eyeing Tim thoughtfully. "I expect you have things you need to say to them, and they have things to say to you. I know they came to see you before the doctors put you in the coma, so obviously you are important to them, at least to some degree. I want you to have the opportunity to talk to them and clear the air. Until you do that, you can't make an informed decision about returning to NCIS."

"When are they coming?"

Penny glanced at her watch. "They should be here in less than an hour. I don't know how long Eileen will be able to keep your dad occupied, so you better not waste any time."

Tim's eyebrows shot up. "Mom?"

Penny laughed. "I explained the situation to your mother this morning. She agrees with me and thinks your father is being an idiot. She agreed to keep him away from the hospital for as long as possible. A couple of hours at least." Penny reached out and took his hand. "Sweetheart, when we got here and found you in that coma, I was never so scared in my life. And I've never seen your father more shaken. I know he can be pigheaded and a royal pain in the butt, but he does love you. We just need to keep him from taking over your life."

Tim couldn't speak. He blinked away the tears that threatened to overflow. Having his emotions so close to the surface was driving him crazy, but right now, he couldn't imagine loving any one more than he loved his grandmother at that moment. He shook his head and gave a soft laugh. "I never thought Mom would do something like that."

Penny laughed again. "Your mother is tougher than she looks. She's been doing things behind your father's back for years. He might think he's in command, but believe me, she's the one that's really in control. If there was one thing she learned as the daughter of a sub commander was stealth."

Tim settled back against the pillows. He was both excited and nervous about seeing the team again. He knew Gibbs had been there one of the first times he'd awakened, although he only had a vague recollection of the event. It was more like a dream. He remembered events that happened before the coma, but memories of events afterwards weren't always so clear.

Penny glanced at her watch. "I'm going downstairs to wait. Do you want them all to come up at once? I think it would be less conspicuous to bring them up one at a time. The staff has been told that your NCIS friends aren't supposed to visit but if they're with me, I think it will be okay."

"One at a time will be fine," said Tim. He had things he wanted to say and it would best if he didn't have to say everything to the whole group.

Penny nodded. She reached over and kissed Tim on the cheek. "It will all work out, Tim. Don't worry." With a parting smile, she was gone.

xxxxxx

Penny sat in the front lobby of the hospital waiting impatiently for Gibbs and his team. She was worried Michael would suspect something was up and return before Tim's NCIS teammates were gone. She looked up for probably the hundredth time when she heard the automatic doors whoosh open. With a sigh of relief, she recognized Gibbs, his eyes scanning the people seated in the lobby. Gibbs locked on her as she stood and he headed in her direction. She hurried to meet them. Gibbs had brought Agents DiNozzo and David as well as the girl from forensics, Abby.

"Ms. Langston," said Agent Gibbs politely. "Thank you for calling us."

Penny nodded, glancing nervously out the door. "Agent Gibbs, I don't know if this is a good idea or not, but it's what Tim wants. That's all that matters. My son can be as pigheaded as they come, and I know he'd never let you in. I don't know how much time you have, but I suggest you don't waste it." She looked at the group. "The nurses have orders not to let you in, but if I take you up one at a time, I doubt they'll notice."

Abby stepped forward, her face drawn. "Please, ma'am, can I go first? I…I tried to come earlier by Admiral McGee threw me out. I really need to talk to Tim."

Penny eyed the oddly dressed young woman with some distrust. "All right. Come on." The two women headed to the bank of elevators.

"Ms. Scuito," said Penny as they waited. "Tim does not react well to stress right now. Please try not to upset him."

"Oh no," said Abby firmly shaking her head. "I'll be very careful. I…I need to tell him how sorry I am about, well, about everything."

Penny grunted noncommittally. She would wait outside the room, ready to step in if she thought things got out of hand.

A few minutes later found them outside Tim's room. A couple of nurses frowned at Abby's appearance, but when they spied Penny beside her, they let her pass without comment. Penny turned to Abby. "Wait here."

Penny slipped into Tim's room. He turned quickly to watch her. "Abby Scuito is outside," said Penny. "Are you ready to see her?"

Tim took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, let her in." Might as well get the hardest over first.

Penny gave him another long look, then opened the door allowing Abby to enter. "I'll be right outside." She closed the door behind her.

Tim and Abby stared at one another for several long moments. Abby chewed on her lip, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. Tim waited.

"McGee, I mean, Tim," began Abby at last, "I know how bad I treated you. I was awful. I don't know why I acted like that. I mean, you were bitten by that dog and I ignored that. I only thought about Jethro and well, he turned out to have rabies and would have died anyway, although we didn't know that at the time. Still, he could have bitten other people and they could have died, although you didn't, which really makes me happy. I mean, I was so scared when they put you in the coma. I couldn't bear losing you. I…" She stopped. "Oh, god, I'm babbling, aren't I?" She looked at Tim with pleading eyes. She stepped closer.

"Tim, please forgive me. I promise I won't ever treat you like that again."

Tim stared at her for a long time. His mind was whirling. One part of him wanted to assure her that he forgave her and all was well, but another was still royally pissed. He had frequently imagined what he would say to her if he got the chance, and now his mind was blank. Finally, he took a deep breath and asked the question that really mattered.

"Why?"

"Why?" Abby looked away. She fidgeted harder. She knew what he was asking. She just wasn't sure how to answer.

"Yes, Abby. Why? Why did you treat me like that? Like I didn't matter. You know I wouldn't have shot that dog without a good reason. You saw the bandages. He didn't just nip me. He _mauled_ me. I don't go around shooting dogs for the heck of it. Yet, you treated me like I was some animal sadist. It was even worse after he died. I never would have treated you like that."

Abby glanced at Tim. His accusing eyes were blazing in his pale, thin face, but there was a lot of pain there as well. Her face twisted in misery. "Tim, I…I don't know. I could say it was because I love animals and don't like to see them in pain, but that almost makes it all worse. I mean, you were in pain too." Abby began to pace, her hands moving expressively as she talked. "Tim, you are one of the nicest guys I know, and so smart. I can talk to you and you understand what I'm saying. I don't date many guys like that. You're different." She turned to face him.

He watched her impassively. He gave her no encouragement, just waited.

"Tim, I don't know what I want in my life. My personal life, I mean. I love working in the lab, and know what I'm doing there. I know who I am. I thought I knew what I wanted. But, then you came along. You're completely different than the guys I usually go out with. And, well, that scares me."

"Why should that scare you?" asked Tim, his voice puzzled. "Abby, you're the most self-assured person I know."

Abby laughed. "Fooled you good, didn't I?" She began to pace again. "Tim, I don't know what to say. I think I figured if I pushed you away, my life would be stable again. I'd go back to dating the funky kinda guys I've always gone out with. I wouldn't have to change anything. I'd know who I was again."

Tim sighed and leaned back against his pillows as he digested this. He knew how scary change could be, but he still wouldn't have treated her as badly as she treated him. He looked at her again. "Abby, you will always be important to me. But you showed me a side I'd rather not have seen. I can forgive you, because I believe that you're a fundamentally good person, but I don't think I can trust you. Maybe you really mean it when you say I scare you, but that still doesn't excuse the way your treated me. Couldn't you have just said that? Did you have to act like I was nothing? That hurt more than anything, Abby."

Abby looked down and brushed away a tear.

Tim felt a twinge of guilt, but pushed it away. "If I do manage to return to NCIS, I hope we can still work together. But things will be different."

Abby nodded, swallowing her misery. What had she thought would happen? That Tim would welcome her back with open arms? Like he'd done time and time again? Still, he hadn't cut her out of his life completely. He was willing to work with her and that was a start. And, he had forgiven her. She would just have to work hard to regain his trust.

Just then, the door opened and Penny poked in her head. "Tim, the others waiting and if you want to see all of them before your dad gets back, we need to move things along." She glanced suspiciously between Tim and Abby.

"It's okay, Penny," said Tim. "I think we're done." He looked at Abby and gave her small, sad smile. "See ya, Abby."

Abby smiled back. "See ya, McGee." She stepped over to him and kissed his brow. "Thank you." She hesitated. "You get better quick, McGee. We need you. And I will change. You'll see."

She stepped back, and turned to follow Penny back to the elevator. She turned and gave McGee a small farewell wave. He nodded in return. Then, she was gone.

xxxxx

A/N: Thank you all once again for the reviews. I'm glad the story is inspiring so much passion!


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Tony looked up as Penny and Abby returned. He carefully studied Abby's face. She'd been crying, but she gave him a small smile when she caught his eye. He felt himself relax. Tim must have forgiven her. Again…although….he tilted his head as he studied her. There was still something there. Maybe McGee hadn't completely let her off the hook. But she looked hopeful. That was the word. Like things might still be okay.

Penny looked at him and Ziva. "Well? Who's next?" She looked pointedly at her watch. Ziva and Tony both stood. They looked at each other and shrugged.

Penny suddenly checked her phone and frowned. "You both better come. Apparently my son is getting antsy. I guess he doesn't trust me to keep the barbarians from the gate." She gave them both a conspiratorial grin. She looked at Gibbs who had his arm around Abby. "I'll be back shortly for you, Agent Gibbs." He nodded.

When Tony entered the room, he felt a moment of shock. Tim looked so frail lying there. Sure, he'd seen him the coma, but now that he was awake, the effects of his illness were more readily apparent.

"Hey, McGee!" said Tony with his characteristic grin. Tim smiled back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Tim," warned his grandmother. "Better make this quick. You mom said the natives are getting restless." He nodded his understanding. She disappeared through the door.

Ziva stepped forward, her dark eyes full of remorse. "McGee, I wish to apologize for the thoughtless way we treated you after you were bitten. It was unforgiveable, and I wish I could make it up to you."

Tim gave her the first real smile Tony had seen since they entered. "Thank you, Ziva. You never did anything to me. You've always been nice to me."

Ziva pressed her lips together. "But I did not stop Tony or Abby. I should not have allowed Tony to put that dog attack video in your computer. It was not funny. I am equally to blame. I hope you can forgive me. I…I have missed you."

Tim flushed. "Thank you, Ziva. I've missed you too." He never really blamed Ziva for any of this. Yes, she could have had his back a little more often, but she was still finding her own way in the agency. And, she was different. She was used to working alone and rarely doubted her own abilities. He'd never met anyone so full of confidence in her own abilities. He admired her.

Ziva now glanced at Tony who stood a few steps behind her. He looked unhappy. She knew time was running short. She turned back to Tim. "Tim, we need you back at NCIS. I know your father does not wish you to return." She gave a small rueful smile. "And believe me when I say I know what that is like. But, your absence has left a large hole in our team. I am not good at expressing my emotions, but I want you back, back where you belong. It is not right without you there. I…I hope you will return when you are able." She smiled uncertainly. Tim smiled back. "I had better go find your grandmother. I hope we will be allowed back to see you."

Tony watched her leave. Now he and Tim were alone. Tony looked at his feet for a moment, then lifted his eyes to meet those of his partner's. "Tim, I'm sorry. I've been a total jerk, and you didn't deserve it. That whole dog thing was inexcusable, and I don't blame you if you never want to work with me again, but Tim, you being gone has shown me, shown all of us, how important you are. Facing your empty desk every day has been like Kate all over again." He moved closer and sat in the seat beside the bed.

"But what made it even worse is that all this time, you were infected with rabies and we treated you like crap. It was like…like insult to injury." He swallowed, and looked directly at Tim. "Can you forgive me?"

Tim almost laughed. He suddenly felt like some medieval pope being besieged by sinners requesting absolution. He'd always had something of a love/hate relationship with Tony. Tony always dumped the grunt work on him, pulled stupid pranks and called him names, yet he'd been there for Tim when he'd shot that undercover cop.

"Tony," he sighed, "I know you were just being you, but couldn't you have just once thought how something like might really affect me? I mean, I'd just been mauled by a dog, but you treated it like a joke. I could have been killed or seriously injured, but rather than asking me if I was okay, your response was to put a dog attack video on my computer. I know I sometimes take things too seriously, and that just eggs you on, but that was way out of line."

Tony nodded, his face drawn. "You're right. It was. I've been beating myself up about it ever since. I even thought about what it would be like if you'd done something like that after I had the plague. It wasn't a pretty thought."

Tim's eyes widened. "Tony, I would never do anything like that!"

Tony lifted a hand. "I know that, that's what I mean. You knew how scared I was, and after I'd recovered, it would never have occurred to you to do something like that. That's because you're a good person, Tim. You think about people's feelings. I act first, think later. That's what gets me in trouble." Tony looked down for a moment. "Tim, you know what I'm like. I can't guarantee I won't pull stupid pranks but I can guarantee I will think about it first."

Suddenly Tim laughed. That statement was so ludicrous. Tony looked puzzled until he thought about what he'd said. Then he grinned. "Okay, I mean yeah, I'll think about it, but I'll think about how it will affect somebody first."

Tim shook his head, still grinning. Yeah, Tony drove him nuts, irritated him, and there were days Tim wished he would accept a transfer elsewhere, but he found it hard to imagine being at NCIS without Tony.

"Are we okay, Tim?" asked Tony, suddenly serious again. "I mean, I want to keep working with you. I'm tired of looking at your empty desk. It's…hard."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, Tony. We're okay. Just…just think first."

Tony stood up, grinning in relief. "Don't you worry, Probie, I will. But you need to get better soon. Without you or Abby, things are going slow."

Tim had forgotten about Abby's suspension. Again, he felt a twinge of guilt. Tony noticed his discomfort and guessed the reason. "Tim, that wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, I know. It was my dad's." Tim would have said more, but Penny opened the door.

"Gibbs is here, Tim. We're running out of time."

"Hang in there, McGee," said Tony getting to his feet. "We're counting the days until you come back."

He passed Gibbs and gave him an encouraging nod. Gibbs returned the gesture.

Tim was exhausted. Having his entire team come through was rapidly sapping his limited energy. But this might be his only opportunity to see his team.

"Tim? How ya feeling?"

Tim opened his eyes. He hadn't realized he closed them. "Tired, boss."

Gibbs nodded. "I'll make this quick. Tim, this whole thing was one big fiasco and I blame myself for all of it. I ignored Tony's pranks and let Abby get away with murder. It was wrong. I know how your father feels about NCIS. He doesn't want you to return, and I can respect that. From his viewpoint, we weren't any better than the bullies you had to deal with when you were a kid. He just wants to protect you."

Tim opened his mouth to speak, but Gibbs stopped him. "Tim, I can't tell you how proud I am of how far you've come since you started working for me. I know I don't say things like that often, but I think you need to hear it. You're well on your way to becoming a first class agent. You have the wits and imagination to solve complex crimes. You do stuff with computers I never even thought possible. You're the only agent I know of that has hacked into the CIA's mainframe. I want you on my team. That's why I picked you, and I don't pick garbage. I go for the best. But you have to decide what is right for you. Don't let me or your father decide your future for you, but regardless I hope you can forgive us for the way we screwed up and let you down."

Suddenly the sound of clapping was heard from the doorway. Gibbs whirled around to find Admiral McGee standing there, a sarcastic sneer on his face. "Very nice speech, Agent Gibbs. Very moving."

Penny abruptly ran into the room and froze when she saw the two men glaring at each other. Admiral McGee turned on her. "Well, Mother, I understand now why Eileen kept trying to keep me from returning to the hospital. You were all part of this weren't you? I thought I made it perfectly clear that NCIS personnel were not to be allowed in."

"Oh, knock it off, Michael," snapped his mother, placing her hands on hips. "Tim wanted to see them. I think he has the right to decide who visits him."

The admiral just glared at her, then turned his attention back to Gibbs. "I want you out of here. Now. I gave strict orders that none of you were allowed in to visit. You knew that. I think I need to discuss with the SecNav just what kinds of agents he has working for him."

"I only wanted to let Tim know that we're here for him," returned Gibbs.

"That's a joke!" the admiral snarled stepping closer to Gibbs, getting practically toe to toe. "You let your so-called team abuse him and ignored his obvious need for medical attention. Now, you're all crawling in here begging for forgiveness. Well, you don't deserve it. Not a damn one of you!"

"Dad!" Tim's voice barely cut through his father's roar.

"No, Tim. These people have abused you long enough, and I'm not going to stand for it another minute. I'll get the whole lot of them thrown out of NCIS."

The room exploded with anger as both Penny and Gibbs joined the argument but no one noticed Tim. No one noticed as his his eyes rolled back into his head, and his body began to shake. No one but his mother who had just stepped into the room. Her eyes widened in horror as her son's body was seized by convulsions.

"Tim!" she screamed. Putting her head back out the door, she yelled for help, then ran to her son's side. Gibbs, the admiral, and Penny all turned, shocked into silence. They watched aghast as the convulsions increased in intensity. Then, abruptly, Tim went still, his body collapsing limply onto the bed. A moment later, a number of medical personnel swarmed into the room gathering around McGee in a burst of chaos.

"He's not breathing. Start ventilation…"

"His heart has stopped! Get the crash cart!"

"Get these people out of here!"

Gibbs and McGee's family were unceremoniously ushered out of the room and into the hallway where Tony, Ziva, and Abby now hovered. A nurse then herded them all to a nearby waiting area ignoring the protests of the admiral.

The group stood in stunned silence. Suddenly, the admiral turned on Gibbs, his face red with rage. "This is all your fault, Gibbs! _This_ is why I banned you and your team from Tim's room. I knew something like this would happen! I swear, before this is over, I will have your head on a platter. "

Gibbs had finally had it with this pig headed admiral. "Tim was fine until you showed up and started yelling. All he wanted was to talk to his teammates. You treated him like a child. He's a grown man, Admiral, capable of making his own decisions."

"Well, if one of those decisions is to return to NCIS, then I think I have proof positive of impaired mental abilities," snorted the admiral. "I'm not gonna let you jokers abuse him another moment."

"What about you?" snapped Gibbs, his eyes flashing. "You don't even talk to him for years. You ever give him any support? Any encouragement? I saw a very green but very talented kid in need of direction and took him on. Now, he's well on his way to becoming one of our best technical agents."

"Well, given we're talking about NCIS, there can't be too much competition."

"_Enough!_"

Gibbs and McGee stopped at the unexpected shout and turned in surprise to see Eileen McGee glaring at both of them. The small woman strode up and stood between the two men.

"Enough of this, both of you!" She whirled to face her husband. "Michael, Agent Gibbs is right. Tim is a professional. He is good at what he does, but you never want to hear about it. You never give him any credit for choosing a career right for him. You're just mad because you can't brag to all your admiralty cronies about your brilliant son working for some big time tech company. There's no glory in being a Navy cop, but it's what Tim wanted. He loves his job, and if he wants to return, then I am not going to let you stop him!"

Admiral McGee's mouth dropped open in shock, then snapped shut. Before he could utter a retort, she turned to glare at Gibbs. "And you, Agent Gibbs, you let your team walk all over Tim. You're just like Michael. Figure something like that will "toughen him up". You and your damn military mentality. Tim is _not_ military. He spent a lot of his life being bullied for being smart. You claim you value that in him, yet you allowed members of your team to mistreat him. What kind of team is _that_?"

Gibbs stared at her, speechless. Eileen McGee wasn't done. Now she turned her attention to the team. "And you three. You're supposed to be his friends. You're supposed to have his back. Teams support each other, not tear them down. Tim never said much to me, but I could see the pain in his eyes. I know my son. You hurt him deeply. Maybe he's not tough like all of you. He's a decent person, and he would never intentionally hurt any of you. So why was it all right for you to hurt him?" Tony, Abby and Ziva exchanged guilty glances.

She stepped back and glared at the entire gathering. "I've had enough of all of you. Negligence put him here in this hospital to begin with. A miracle occurred and he survived. But now, he's in there fighting again for his life again because no one will let him live his own life. I will _not_ lose my son because of you people. Do you understand me? "

She stopped, her face suddenly crumpled and the tears came. Penny quickly went to side and gathered her into arms. "I can't lose him," Eileen sobbed. "I just can't"

Everyone stood silently, not meeting anyone's gaze. There was nothing else to say. Penny ushered Eileen to a nearby seat. One by one the others also sat. Now, all they could do was wait.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

The wait seemed to last a lifetime. No one spoke. The only sound was Mrs. McGee's soft sobs. Gibbs felt numb. How had he let this all get so out of hand? He should have just left when the admiral came in, not confronted him. Abby sat in the next seat. She seemed to have collapsed into herself. Tony and Ziva sat beside one another, both lost in their own thoughts. The admiral sat alone, his stony gaze fixed on some distant point.

Finally, Dr. DeKay appeared in the doorway. The group all rose to their feet, watching the doctor with apprehension. "Tim is alive," he said. "We were able to restart his heart, but I've put him back on the ventilator for the moment. As I told you before, as a result of the rabies virus, any stress is dangerous to him. His body isn't reacting normally and in this case, the stress caused by what I understand was some sort of argument, sent his entire nervous system into a kind of meltdown."

"Will he be all right?" asked Penny, her arm still around Eileen.

The doctor hesitated. "I don't know. I hope so. I've moved him back into ICU." Then he frowned. "Because of what happened, I am restricting visits to only medical personnel. This is a serious setback for Tim. He's not out of the woods yet, although as I said, I have hopes that he'll recover. But, another such episode would undoubtedly be fatal. It's a miracle Tim has made it this far and right now, my patient's well-being is my primary consideration."

"But we're his parents," protested Admiral McGee stepping forward. "We have a right…"

"No, you don't," snapped the doctor who was now visibly angry. "I don't know what is going on between all you people, but I do know it's having serious consequences as far as Tim's recovery is concerned. I will be happy to keep you informed on his progress, but for right now, no one is allowed in to see him. Not until I think he's strong enough. If you really care about Tim, you'll abide by my rules. He needs peace and quiet. He needs support, not arguments. I suggest all of you think about that." He turned back towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see to my patient."

The group stood in silence for several long moments. Finally Penny turned to her daughter-in-law. "Come on, Eileen. Let's go back to my house. There's nothing more to be done here." Eileen looked to her husband.

"Michael?"

Admiral McGee looked torn. It was obvious he didn't like being told he couldn't see his own son, but at the same time, he knew his actions had been a cause of Tim's near death relapse. He suddenly looked old and tired. He nodded. As he passed Gibbs he paused.

"Agent Gibbs, my opinions of NCIS have not changed, but if Tim survives all of this and regains his health, I'm not going to fight him on it. I've done enough damage."

"Admiral, I think we all have."

Admiral McGee stared at Gibbs for a long moment then nodded again and followed his mother and wife out of the room, leaving the NCIS team alone.

Gibbs glanced at the others. Tony met his gaze. "Boss…"

"The doc's right, DiNozzo. We need to leave Tim alone for now. I should never have let the admiral get under my skin. I'm as much to blame as he is." He gave a long deep sigh. "C'mon. We've still got work back at the office."

Silently, the group the trailed after Gibbs. Abby gave one last glance down the hallway. _Please be okay, Timmy._

xxxxxx

Dr. Mallard turned on the lights to his autopsy lab. He stopped abruptly, spotting the lone figure lying on one of the tables. He frowned. "Jethro?"

The figure sat up and swung his legs over the side of the table. "Yeah, Duck, it's me."

Frowning, Ducky moved into the room, studying his friend. "You look like you've had a long day. Is everything all right?"

For a moment Gibbs didn't reply. "McGee's back in the ICU."

Ducky's eyebrows shot up. "Oh dear. What happened? I thought he was doing better."

"Yeah, he was. But things got outta hand. Tim's mother and grandmother managed to get the admiral out of the way for awhile so we could see McGee. Unfortunately, the admiral showed up while I was talking to Tim, and well, things got ugly."

Ducky frowned again. "I expect that put a lot of stress on poor Timothy. How did he react?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Badly. Very badly. He went into convulsions and cardiac arrest. He almost didn't make it. The doc said they have him back on the ventilator. No one but medical personnel is allowed to visit. That includes his family."

Ducky sighed. "I was afraid something like this would happen."

"Like what?"

"Jethro, you and the admiral are very much alike. You both have military backgrounds and don't give up easily." Ducky sat down at his desk and studied Gibbs. "I feared the day would come when you and the admiral would come to a confrontation. It would be like two Mack trucks colliding. Neither of you would ever back down and when you came together, it would be a disaster. I am sorry that poor Timothy had to suffer the consequences."

Gibbs rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, that was bad. I shouldn't have let the admiral get to me. Especially not in front of Tim."

"Both of you firmly believe you are doing what is best for Timothy," said Ducky. "You think that Timothy should be here, with you. You've been molding him into a first class agent and believe he could accomplish so much more if he were to return. The admiral, on the other hand, believes Timothy is wasting his talents at NCIS. We all know that Timothy has exceptional technical skills, and his father thinks he could be accomplishing so much more than catching errant petty officers."

Jethro gave an impatient shake of his head. "His father has no idea what's right for Tim. McGee told me that being an NCIS agent is all he's ever wanted to do. If his father knows him so well, then why doesn't he know that?"

"Perhaps his father thought it was like so many boyhood dreams. Many children want to be firemen or policemen, but when they grow up, they find they've outgrown those childish fantasies."

"Sure, but they don't go to college to learn computer forensics or go through the training at FLETC if they don't really wanna be a cop. When it was obvious that Tim meant to go through with becoming an NCIS agent, why couldn't his father just support his decision?"

Ducky chuckled. "That, my dear Jethro, is a question for the ages. How many times have we heard of fathers wanting their sons to follow in their footsteps only to discover their children have very different ideas for their futures? It has caused more than one familial rift."

Gibbs worked his jaw as he considered Ducky's words. He and his father hadn't always gotten along, Nor had DiNozzo or Ziva with their fathers for that matter. Ziva probably understood more than anyone what Tim was going through. Her father was the director of Mossad, and did not want his daughter to work for NCIS. He had, however, trained her to be an exemplary Mossad agent. So in her case, it wasn't the job he had objected to, it was who she worked for. Families could be difficult things.

"So what do you suggest? I leave him alone?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I suggest. And I would say the same to his father. Both of you need to step back and allow Timothy room to breathe. You said you spoke to him before his father arrived. Did you tell Timothy what you wanted to say?"

Gibbs thought back. Had he? "Yeah. I don't know if he'll remember any of it though." Gibbs looked away for a moment. "Damn it, Duck, how did this all get so screwed up?"

"It wasn't just one thing, Jethro. It was a whole series of events caused by a number of individuals starting with Petty Officer Perellli. Now, we have to put Timothy's welfare first and foremost. Everyone must put their egos aside if Timothy is to recover." Ducky hesitated. "Perhaps Dr. DeKay will allow me access to Timothy, as I am a physician."

Gibbs nodded. "I would really feel better if I knew one of us was looking in on him."

"Then, I shall contact the doctor and see what he says. I doubt he will allow me to see Timothy until he is out of danger however."

"Thanks Ducky." Jethro slid off the table and started toward the door. "If you do get in to see him, let him know we're here for him."

"I will, Jethro."

xxxxxx

It was four days later when Dr. DeKay finally agreed to meet with Dr. Mallard. DeKay studied Dr. Mallard thoughtfully. "So, you are the medical examiner for NCIS, is that correct, Dr. Mallard?"

"Yes, indeed," replied Ducky with a smile. "Fascinating work. You cannot imagine the tales the dead may tell."

"I'm sure," said DeKay uncertainly. "And you would like to see Timothy McGee. I assume you know him personally?"

"Yes, I know Timothy quite well and am very worried about him. Agent Gibbs told me what happened last week when he and Admiral McGee bumped heads shall we say."

DeKay gave a short laugh. "More like a couple of bull moose charging head on. The nurses told me you could hear those two all the way down the hall." Now his face hardened. "I think that is the heart of the whole problem with Timothy McGee. Too many people think they know what's best for him, and no one will listen to Tim. I warned all of them that stress could be very harmful to him, but did anyone remember that? No. It all boiled down to egos. That's why I had to ban the whole lot of them."

Ducky nodded. "How is Timothy now?"

DeKay removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Dr. Mallard, when I saw him last week after his seizure, I wouldn't have given you very good odds that he'd still be here today, but he is. I took him off the ventilator yesterday afternoon when we were sure he was stable. He regained consciousness this morning. He's groggy, of course, and confused, but he recognized me so I'm hopeful no further damage has been done."

"Thank goodness for that," breathed Ducky in relief. "I was worried after what Jethro told me."

"We all were, Dr. Mallard." Dr. DeKay paused for a few moments. "Doctor, I will allow you to come with me visit Tim. As a physician yourself, I believe you will keep Tim's needs in mind. Then, you can go back and reassure Agent Gibbs that we're not mistreating his agent."

It wasn't long before Ducky found himself standing outside Tim's room. He looked through the observation window and felt of twinge of pain seeing the young man looking so gaunt and colorless. Dr. DeKay was in there at the moment checking on Tim. A minute later he looked up and signaled to Ducky, who then slipped in the room beside him.

Tim's eyes were fluttering open. DeKay nodded to Ducky who gently placed a hand on Tim's arm. "Timothy," he said softly. "Timothy, can you hear me? It's me, Ducky. I've come to see you."

Tim smiled slightly. Then, opening his eyes, he met Ducky's. "Hi…Ducky."

Ducky smiled back. "How are you feeling my boy? Agent Gibbs wanted me to check up on you."

Tim closed his eyes and frowned. "Gibbs…my dad…yelling."

Ducky glanced at DeKay who looked troubled. "It's all right, Timothy," said Ducky quickly. "They're not here." Figures he would remember something like that.

"Good." Tim went back to sleep.

"I was hoping he wouldn't remember any of that," muttered Dr. DeKay. "It's imperative we keep him calm, and I don't want memories of his father and Agent Gibbs arguing upsetting him."

"That is unfortunate," agreed Ducky looking down at Tim's pale face. "Do think it would be acceptable for me to visit him again?"

Dr. DeKay thought for a moment, then nodded. "I expect so. Your presence didn't seem to upset him. In fact, he seemed happy you were here. Perhaps you can help me mediate things between NCIS and Agent McGee's family. I can't keep them away indefinitely, but I cannot have a repeat of last's week's episode."

"I will most certainly do whatever I can, Dr. DeKay. As with you, I only have Timothy's best interests at heart."

"Thank you, doctor." Dr. DeKay smiled relief. "Really, I'm more of a researcher. Dealing with patients and their families is not something I'm very good at."

Ducky laughed. "Well, in this case, you have two very different families as it were to deal with. I told Jethro the most important thing is to step back and leave Timothy alone for now. Let him heal and most importantly, let him make his own decisions without pressure from either NCIS or his father."

"I hope both Agent Gibbs and Admiral McGee listen to that advice. For Tim's sake."

xxxxxxx

A/N: Sorry to say…only one chapter left. I felt it was time to wrap things up.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Tim sat in the wheelchair on the sunny deck outside the hospital. It was a lovely day for March. The sun was out and the temperature mild. Tim closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun's rays on his face. It had been a long time since he'd been outside. His life seemed to be restricted to his hospital room and the physical therapy rooms. Today one of his nurses asked him if he'd like to sit outside for a while. He jumped at the chance.

He had come a long way in the past two months. He still couldn't walk, but he was able to feed himself again and could use his computer for short periods of time. Dr. DeKay was pleased with his progress and assured him it was only a matter of time before he was back on his own two feet. There were days when Tim was frustrated that it all seemed to take so long, but then he reminded himself that he was supposed to be dead. He was a medical marvel and should thank his lucky stars that he wasn't six feet under instead of sitting here in the sun.

It had been a very strange time. Just recovering from the effects of the rabies infection was hard, but dealing with his father had been even harder. For a long time, Dr. DeKay refused to let anyone but Ducky visit. Eventually, he allowed his mom and grandmother along with Sarah to visit. In the beginning, Dr. DeKay would only allow visits when he was around. He was afraid Tim would have another relapse.

Tim thought about that episode. He didn't remember much. He did remember talking to Gibbs when his father appeared. There was a lot of shouting and then…well, that was it. It all went dark. When he woke up, it was four days later and he was back in the ICU.

"Hello, Timothy." Tim turned at the sound of the voice and smiled as Ducky approached. "How are you feeling today? Your nurse told me I would find you here. I am delighted to see you out in the sun."

"Hi, Ducky," said Tim. "I'm doing okay. It's been so long since I felt the sun and wind on my face. There was a time when I didn't think I'd ever the sun again. Or the leaves on the trees."

"It has been a terrifying experience for you."

Tim nodded. "Yeah. Something about facing your own death changes you. Little things seem more important. And things I thought were so important, seem trivial." He paused. "They finally let my dad in to see me last week."

"Oh?"

"Dr. DeKay would have allowed it sooner but my mother wouldn't let him in." Tim shook his head and laughed. "I've learned an awful lot about my mom through all of this. She's a lot tougher than I ever suspected." He looked at Ducky and grinned. "Did you know she really ripped into my dad and Gibbs right after my relapse? According to Penny she totally raked them over the coals. In all my years at home, I never heard my mom yell at anyone. Man, I wish I could have seen that!"

Ducky laughed. Oddly, Gibbs had neglected to mention that little item, nor had Abby or the others brought it up. "I find it hard to imagine your dear mother taking down Gibbs or the admiral. It would have been an interesting sight."

Tim's grinned widened, then he grew serious. "I had a long talk with Dad. And this time, I think he actually listened to what I was saying. He's not going to fight me returning to NCIS. He's still not happy about it, but I think he's finally accepted that it's what I really want to do."

"I think when he almost lost you that second time, your father suddenly realized that life is too short. No parent wants to outlive their child, and when your father understood that his stubbornness almost cost you your life, he knew he had to change. He had to consider things from your perspective. Let you choose your own path in life. Your mother and grandmother tried to tell him that, but he was so certain he knew what was best for you that he refused to listen. It took your brush with death to make him realize he wasn't always right."

Tim laughed again. "And believe me _that_ would be a real shock for my dad. I can't remember him ever admitting he was wrong. I'm just glad he's backed off. I have no idea what the future will bring. I mean, maybe I'll be able to go back as a field agent eventually, or maybe I'll be forced to work strictly from my computer, but that's okay, too. I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile when I'm working on a case. Sure, I could help develop some new phone or whatever at a big tech company, but there's no gratification in that. I want to feel like I'm doing some good in the world. I think Dad could understand that."

"I'm glad you were able to work things out with your father, Timothy."

"Yeah, me too."

The two sat in companionable silence for several minutes. Tim was glad he and his father had a least reached a mutual understanding. After their talk, he'd felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. His father was back in Okinawa now, but he checked in regularly.

"Gibbs would like to come see you," said Ducky after awhile. Tim glanced at him. Abby, Tony, and Ziva had been by several times to see him once DeKay gave them the green light but so far, Gibbs had been absent.

"I thought he would have come sooner," said Tim. "I mean once Dr. DeKay said I could have visitors."

"Jethro wanted to wait," replied Ducky slowly. "He knew how sensitive you are to stress, and he wanted to make sure you were strong enough before he came. He didn't know how much you recalled from the altercation between himself and your father. He didn't want to upset you further."

Tim thought about this. "I appreciate that. I think that's what my mother thought about Dad. She wanted to make sure I was good and ready before letting him come. She didn't want a replay of that day. I'm not sure I would have been ready to see Gibbs until I worked out things with Dad. It would have been too stressful. Tell Gibbs he can come anytime he wants."

Ducky smiled. "I know Gibbs will be thrilled. He didn't want you to think he didn't care or had forgotten you."

Oddly enough, Tim hadn't thought that. He'd suspected the reason Gibbs hadn't returned before now. And since he hadn't felt up to seeing Gibbs until after he'd worked things out with his father, not having his boss show up had been a relief. But, he was ready now. Tim knew he wanted to go back to NCIS. More than anything else in the world, and he wanted to work for Gibbs. He honestly believed that things would be different. He missed his team.

"Excuse me. Tim? They told me I would find you here." Tim looked over in surprise to see Jimmy Palmer, Dr. Mallard's assistant, standing hesitantly in the doorway. He carried a huge vase of flowers.

"Jimmy?" Tim hadn't seen Palmer since this had all started.

Jimmy set the flowers down and pushed his glasses back up his nose. Awkwardly, he straightened up, then glanced down at the flowers. He flushed. "I…uh…wanted to come see you. Everyone else has, and I felt bad that I haven't been by." he began. "And, well, I thought I should bring something, but didn't know what, so I, um, picked these up downstairs."

Ducky and Tim exchanged amused glances. "That was very thoughtful of you," said Tim with a grin.

Jimmy shrugged, still looking a little embarrassed. "Well, they're colorful at least. Hospital rooms can be pretty dismal." He glanced at Dr. Mallard who gave him a little nod. Jimmy turned back to Tim. "I didn't come alone. Agent Gibbs is waiting in the lobby. He figured I should make sure it was okay for him to come up."

"It's fine, Mr. Palmer," said Ducky calmly. "I shall go down and speak to Jethro before I send him up, if that is acceptable to you, Timothy?"

Tim shook his head with an amused smile. "Yeah, that's fine, Ducky."

"Then, I shall return shortly."

Palmer stood near Tim's wheelchair looking uncomfortable.

"You okay, Jimmy?"

Jimmy gave him an unhappy look. "I know you've had a really hard time, Tim, and well, I wanted to apologize for not really taking you seriously when you were worried about rabies. It's just that hardly anybody gets rabies in the US anymore unless they get bitten by a bat or some other wild animal. No one thought it was remotely possible to get rabies from that dog."

Tim sighed. "Jimmy, honestly, it's all right. I think there's been enough guilt going around. And you're right, why would anyone suspect a military drug dog of carrying rabies? If Petty Officer Perelli had told us right off the bat that she'd switched dogs, we could have tracked Jethro down and found out he was a research dog. Then I could have gotten the shots and been done with it."

Jimmy gave him a crooked grin. "That's true, but then you wouldn't be famous. You do realize you're considered a medical miracle, right? Doctors and scientists all over the world are going to want to study you."

McGee frowned. "No way. I have no intention of being some kind of scientific guinea pig. They can study my records all they want, but I refuse to prodded, poked, or tested any more than necessary." Tim decided to change the subject. "I guess Abby is back in the lab now."

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah. I thought Gibbs was going to go nuts with both her and you gone. It took ten times as long to get anything done. They have some other tech guy filling in until you get back, but he can't hold a candle to you. I doubt he's ever hacked into so much as the FBI's personnel directory."

Tim ducked his head and laughed. It was nice to feel wanted.

"Timothy?"

Tim and Jimmy looked up to see Ducky in the doorway. Gibbs stood beside him.

"Oh," said Jimmy standing up. "I guess that's my cue. Get well, McGee. We really do miss you." He glanced at the enormous bouquet. "And, uh, I hope you like the flowers." With that, he turned and followed Dr. Mallard back inside.

Gibbs stepped closer to Tim. He gestured to the empty chair. "Do you mind?"

"No, Boss," said Tim feeling a little anxious. "Please, sit."

Gibbs nodded and lowered himself into the chair. He studied Tim for a moment. "How are you, Tim?"

Tim gave a little shrug. "I'm getting better. Can't walk yet, but the doctors all think it's just a matter of time. I've got much better control of the arms and hands, so that's a plus. I've been able to use my computer again. At least some. My memory still has its ups and downs, but I'm learning to cope."

Gibbs smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that, Tim. I've been worried about you. I know Ducky told you why I haven't been by. I didn't want to put any pressure on you."

"I know, Boss." Tim looked down at his hands. "You know, I didn't even see my dad again until last week. My mother wouldn't let him in. Not until she was sure seeing him wouldn't, well, you know." Tim shrugged again.

"Yeah, I know," replied Gibbs softly. "I should never have let your father get under my skin, Tim."

Now Tim laughed for real. "Believe me, Boss, my father gets under _everyone's_ skin. I know both of you only were doing what you thought was best for me. I, uh, had a long talk with Dad shortly before he returned to Okinawa. He's agreed to let me live my own life. I think he's finally accepted the fact I'll never be like him. Shoot, Sarah's more like him than I am. He's still not happy that I want to return to NCIS, but he's promised to support me in whatever I choose to do."

"That's great, Tim." Gibbs smiled. "You know you'll have a place at NCIS if that's what you want to do."

"Boss, coming back is all that keeps me going. I'm going stir crazy in here. I mean, I have therapy every day, which is good for my body, but I feel like my brain is going to mush."

Gibbs grinned broader. "Tim, I'm happy to hear you say that." He reached down and picked up something near his feet. It was a small briefcase. Tim hadn't noticed him carrying it in. "I've got a few cold cases here that need looking into. I figured since you were just sitting around on your butt goldbricking, you might like to make yourself useful and not just decorative."

Tim blinked in confusion, then slowly smiled as comprehension dawned on him. "You want me to go back to work now?"

Gibbs shrugged. "You got something better to do? I mean if you're too busy, I'm sure Tony would love to take them on."

Tim's eyebrows rose in amused disbelief. "That'll be the day." He eagerly reached for the briefcase, and began pulling out the files, his face suffused with pleasure.

Gibbs sat back and simply watched, enjoying the sight of Tim actually starting to look like his old self. He smiled to himself. "Welcome back, McGee."

**THE END**

A/N: Thanks again to all of you who took the time to read the story all the way to the end. Special thanks to those of you who sent reviews and comments. It's always nice to have feedback. This story took some unexpected turns as a result of those comments (Special Agent Ali: Palmer's appearance is thanks to your suggestion! ;-) )

I think all of us McGee fans found this to be a frustrating episode. Why Abby treated him so badly is a real mystery. I know there were many of you howling for Abby's blood and definitely did not want McGee to forgive her. However, I think that would have been out of character for McGee. He _always_ forgives Abby, but at least in my world, he's not as trusting any longer. I think of my stories based on episodes as kind of like side trips. I still need to bring the characters back to fit into the general canon timeline of events. That meant Tim had to return to the team. So for those of you who thought Abby should have had her head handed to her on a platter, I guess you'll just have to write your own version of the story! ;-)

Anyway, thanks again. It's been a fun ride. You guys have been great! Maybe I'll write another NCIS story one of these days. You never know!


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